598 



FA MILY XXV. HISTERID JE . 



for boxes already infested. In heated buildings it begins to emerge 

 from the pupal stage about February 15th: in open air probably 

 not until spring. 



1139 (3446). Antheenus Castanet Melsh., Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci.. 

 II, 1844, 116. 



Oblong-oval, moderately convex. Head and thorax black; the latter 

 with the disk sparsely, the base and sides narrowly and densely, covered 

 with small triangular yellow scales ; elytra chestnut-brown, sparsely clothed 

 with similar scales arranged in three narrow zigzag crossbands, with a 

 few scattered ones between. Under surface piceous-brown, the sternum 

 densely, the abdomen sparsely, covered with yellowish scales. Length 2- 

 2.5 mm. 



Throughout the State; frequent. May 3-July 13. Occurs on 

 the flowers of Hydrangea, C rata gas and Ceanothus. I have fol- 

 lowed Casey in giving the name caslanecB to the species commonly 

 listed as museeorum. He states that the latter is much larger and 

 differs especially in the structure of the antennal joints. I have 

 never seen castanece about houses or museum collections. 



VIII. Orpi-iilus Erichs. 1846. (Gr., "a sea fish.") 



Small, compact, oblong-oval black beetles having the surface 

 nearly smooth; spine of prosternum short, reaching, but not passing 

 between the front coxa?; front legs large, protecting the mouth 

 parts; thorax as wide at base as the elytra, its base with a broad 

 lobe at middle, the side margins beneath with a pit behind the an- 

 tennal grooves for the reception of the front knees in repose. One 

 species occurs in Indiana. 



1140 (3455). Oephilus atee Erichs., Nat. Ins., Ill, 1846, 463. 



Oblong-oval, moderately convex. Black, shining, without pubescence. 

 Antenna? reddish-brown. 11 -jointed, the club 3-jointed. Entire upper sur- 

 face coarsely punctate. Elytra somewhat rugose, the punctures of the basal 

 region coarser and densely crowded. Scutellum large, oval, with a few 

 punctures. Length 2.3-2.8 mm. 



Southern half of State, frequent; not taken north of Fountain 

 County. May 3- July 11. Occurs on the flowers of the Jersey tea. 

 Ceanothus amerieanus, L., on those of the red haw, Craleegus, and 

 other plants. Listed by Jayne and Henshaw- as 0. glabratus, a 

 European species, but Erichson, LeConte and Casey claim it is 

 distinct. 



Family XXV, ITISTERID.E. 



The TIister Beetles. 



A family of medium size, comprising small, usually black, shin- 

 ing beetles having tin* elytra truncate behind, leaving two segments 



