400 



FAMILY XI. STAPHYLIXIDJE. 



XL. Diochus Erichs. 1840. (Gr.. ''to wash away.") 



Small, slender species, having the antenna? nearly 

 straight and Tin- In ad oval, much smaller than thorax, 

 the last joint of palpi very small and awl-shaped. 

 (Fig. 160.) One species occurs in the eastern United 

 States and Indiana. 



776 (2299). Diochus schaumii Kraatz., Wien. Ent. Monat., 

 IV, I860. 27. 



Elongate, slender. Piceous. shining: legs, and sometimes 

 nInd m Eriil 0Ch 't tne thorax and tips of elytra dull yellow : antenna? brown. 

 Central American Da i e r at base. Head very sparsely and finely punctate. 



species. X 8. _ , 



(After Erichson.) Thorax oblong-oval, sides rounded into base ana apex, disk 

 with a row of four or five punctures on sides and with four to six faint 

 ones on middle. Elytra one-third wider and about as long as thorax, 

 smooth or nearly so. Abdomen minutely and densely punctate, subopaque. 

 the tip paler. Length 2.7-3 mm. 



Starke. Kosciusko. Putnam and Posey counties; scarce. April 

 21-Oetober 17. Sifted from vegetable debris in low moist places. 



Subfamily III. STENINAE. 



Short, rather robust, subcylindrical. black or piceous species, 

 having the head large, wider than long, with prominent eyes, thus 

 resembling those of the tiger beetles: antenna? straight, inserted 

 upon the front. 11-jointed. the last three joints larger than those 

 preceding: first joint of maxillary palpi nearly as long as second, 

 the fourth obsolete: labrum entire, rounded in front; thorax con- 

 vex, usually distinctly longer than wide: elytra wider than thorax: 

 abdomen with seven segments, usually narrowing from base to apex, 

 each dorsal segment with a transverse elevated ridge at base, this 

 usually with several cusps or teeth projecting backward: tarsi five- 

 jointed, the fourth joint often bilobed beneath. The thorax and 

 elytra are deeply sculptured, and this character, taken in connec- 

 tion with their large eyes- and black color render them, as a group, 

 very easy to separate. 



The Stenids occur for the most part along the muddy or sandy 

 borders of lakes, pcrds and streams, where they run swiftly in the 

 sunshine but hide beneath bark, moss and rubbish in cloudy or cold 

 weather. All are probably carnivorous, catching their prey alive 

 like most of the CarabidaB, and not feeding on carrion and excre- 

 ment as do most other Staphylinid forms. 



The principal paper treating of the North American species 

 is bv 



