U2 



FAMILY XT. — STAPH YLTNTDJE - . 



The one paper treating of the North American species of the 

 subfamily is by 



Horn. — "Synopsis of the Genera and Species of the Staphylinid 

 Tribe Taehyporini of the United States," in Trans. Amer. 

 Ent. Soc. YI. 1877. 81-126. 



The subfamily is separated into five tribes, and these in turn into 

 genera. 



KEY TO TRIBES OF TACHYPORIX.E. 



a. Hind coxa? transverse, reaching the side pieces of the metathorax. 

 £>. Antenna? 10-jointed: tarsi 4-jointed. 



Tribe I. Hypocyptixi, p. 442. 



hi). Antenna? 11-jointed ; tarsi 5-jointed. 



c. First joint of hind tarsi nearly as long as tibia?: hind coxa? ap- 

 parently united with the metasternum. 



Tribe II. Trichopyixi, p. 442. 

 cc. First joint of hind tarsi moderate or short: hind coxa? free. 



d. Head not margined on the sides beneath the eyes ; elytra dis- 

 tinctly longer than the thorax, minutely and irregularly punc- 

 tate. Tribe III. Tachyporixi. p. 443. 

 dd. Head margined on the side beneath the eyes; elytra about as 

 long as thorax, smooth or with three or more rows of punc- 

 tures. Tribe IV. Bolitobtixi, p. 452. 

 aa. Hind coxa? triangular, prominent; antenna? 11-jointed; tarsi 5-jointed; 

 head not margined. Tribe V. Habrocerixi, p. 457. 



Tribe I. HTPOCYPTINI. 



Very small, broadly oval pubescent species, which occur for the 

 most part in the nests of ants., When disturbed they bend the head 

 under the body which, together with their convex forms, gives them 

 the appearance of little globes or balls. Xo representative of the 

 tribe has been taken in the State, though Dury has taken Microcyp- 

 tus testaceus Lec. from the nest of a small black ant near Cincin- 

 nati. It is reddish-yellow, with the middle coxa? narrowly sepa- 

 rated : mesosternum carinate : length .8 mm. 



Hypocyptus longicornis Payk.. black, legs and antenna pale yel- 

 low, middle coxa? widely separated, mesosternum flat, length 1 mm., 

 may occur in the southern half of the State. 



Tribe II. TRICHOPTINI. 



Two genera represent this tribe in the Eastern United States, 

 both of which occur in the nests of white ants (Termes). Both 

 genera have a southern range and both are perhaps represented in 

 southern Indiana, though only the single species of one has as yet 

 been taken. 



