688 FAMILY XXXV.— DASCTLLIDJK. 



nn. Front coxae long with distinct trochantin ; body and ely- 

 tra softer than usual, flexible, the parts not well co- 

 adapted; thorax usually with a broad, thin margin. 

 o. Visible ventral segments seven or eight, some of them 

 often with light-giving power ; fourth joint of tarsi 

 more or less bilobed. 



Family XL. Lampyridje. p. SOT. 

 oo. Visible ventral segments five or six. none with light- 

 giving power : fourth joint of tarsi entire ; elytra more 

 or less truncate and widest near their tips ; length less 

 than 6 mm. Family XLI. Malachiid-E. p. 839. 



Family XXXV. DASCYLLID.E. 



The Soft-bodied Plant Beetles. 



A family of small size, composed, for the most part, of small, 

 hemispherical or oval, subeonvex species of rather soft texture and 

 dull color. They occur mostly on plants near water, though some 

 are found on dead timber, a few in running water and others in 

 rotten wood. The name of the typical genus. Dascyllus, comes from 

 the Greek words meaning ''thick" and "shaded." and probably re- 

 fers to the dusky or piceous hue of many of the species, or perhaps 

 to the shaded places along streams which they inhabit. 



The most important characters possessed by the family are the 

 widely separated. 11- jointed, more or less serrate antenna? which 

 are inserted beneath a slight ridge immediately in front of the eyes; 

 head sometimes prominent but usually defiexed; elytra covering 

 the abdomen, which has five free ventral segments, the fifth rounded 

 at tip ; front coxae transverse, either with large trochantin or none 

 at all. the cavities widely open behind; middle coxa? smaller, sub- 

 transverse: hind coxa? transverse, nearly contiguous, dilated into a 

 plate partly covering the thighs: tarsi 5-jointed, claws simple or 

 pectinate. 



The principal literature treating of the North American species 

 is as follows : 



LeConte. — "Synopsis of the Atopida? and Cyphonida? of the 

 United States." in Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., VI. 1853, 

 350-357. 



Horn. — "Synopsis of the Dascyllida? of the United States." in 

 Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. VIII. 1880. 76-114. 



Only about 400 species of the family are known. 50 of which are 

 listed from the United States. These are distributed between two 

 subfamilies. 



