THE SHORT-WINGED SCAVENGER BEETLES. 



379 



726 (2144). Ocypus ater Grav.. Mon. Col. Micr., 1806, 166. 



Black, shining- : tibiae, tarsi and basal half 

 of antennae piceous. Antennae slender, reach- 

 ing middle of thorax. Head distinctly broad- 

 er than long, finely and sparsely punctate. 

 Thorax longer than broad, slightly narrower 

 than head ; sides nearly straight, rounded 

 into base; disk finely and sparsely punctate. 

 Elytra a little wider than thorax, together 

 slightly longer than wide, finely and densely a 

 punctate, sparsely pubescent. Abdomen slight- Fi s- 159 - ( After Knobel.) 

 ly narrower than elytra, above coarsely and rather closely punctate on 

 basal half, more finely and sparsely toward apex. Length 15-17.5 mm. 

 (Fig. 159, &.) 



Vigo and Posey counties ; rare. May 11-July 5. Occurs be- 

 neath stones and other cover near water. 



XXXIY. Belonuchus Nordm. 1837. (Gr., "a dart + to have. ") 



One small black and yellow species having the femora armed be- 

 neath with a row of fine, slender spines, occurs in the State. 



727 (2146). Belonuchus foemosus Grav., Mon. Col. Micr., 1S06, 72. 



Elongate, slender. Reddish-yellow ; head, thorax and last two seg- 

 ments of abdomen black, shining. Antennae reaching middle of thorax, 

 fuscous, the three basal joints piceous, apical one paler. Head slightly 

 broader than thorax, coarsely and very sparsely punctate and with a length- 

 wise impression between the bases of antennae. Thorax slightly longer than 

 wide, sides nearly straight, rounded into base ; disk with a row of five deep 

 punctures each side of middle, and with about six others between these 

 and margins. Scutellum piceous, coarsely punctured. Elytra one-half 

 wider and slightly longer than thorax, finely and sparsely punctate. Ab- 

 domen slightly narrower than elytra, sparsely pubescent, the dorsal seg- 

 ments punctured on their basal halves. Length 6.5-7.5 mm. 



Southern half of State ; common. April 17-November 10. Oc- 

 curs at maple and other sap, in decaying fungi and carrion, and 

 rarely on flowers. 



XXXV. Philonthus Curt. 1830. (Gr., "a lover of dung.") 



A large group of small, slender beetles distinguished from allied 

 genera only by the characters given in the generic key. The tho- 

 rax, in the great majority of species, is marked on the middle of the 

 disk with a double row of dorsal punctures, and the number of 

 punctures in these rows is used in separating the genus into groups. 



