730 



FAMILY XXXVII. ELATERIM. 



Lake, Posey and Crawford counties; rare. May 10-July 21. 

 Probably occurs throughout the State, as it is known from Michigan 

 and Ohio. 



XXVI. Elater Linn. 1748. (Gr., "to drive or set in motion.") 



This, the typical genus of the family, comprises about 50 known 

 North American species having the body more or less wedge-shaped 

 and pubescent; front convex, distinctly margined, base of labrum 

 on a lower level ; antennas serrate, third joint frequently but little 

 wider than second, though often as long as fourth ; thorax narrowed 

 m front, hind angles long, acutely carinate : prosternal sutures 

 double and excavated near the front lobe, which is rounded and 

 moderately long ; scutellum rounded ; elytra strongly striate ; tarsi 

 as long as the tibiae, joints 1 to 4 gradually shorter, the 5th long ; 

 claws simple. 



For a synoptical table of the North American species see 

 LeConte.— "Short Studies of North American Coleoptera— 

 Elater/' in Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, XII, 1884, 8-15. 



The following species have been taken or perhaps occur in the 

 State. 



KEY TO INDIANA SPECIES OF ELATER. 



a. Hind angles of thorax with two carinas; thorax rather densely and 

 coarsely punctured. 

 6. Third joint of antenna? shorter than fourth ; uniform chestnut-brown ; 

 length 9 mm. 1378 . H epaticus. 



bb. Third joint of antennae as long as fourth; color piceous-brown ; 

 length 14 mm. insignis'. 

 aa. Hind angles of thorax with but one carina. 



a Antenna? feebly serrate, joints longer than wide, their outer angles 

 not acute. 



a. Dark brown, coarsely pubescent ; thorax equally, deeply and rather 

 coarsely punctate. 1379. manipularis. 



eld. Black, finely pubescent; thorax more finely and sparsely punc- 

 tured on basal half; third joint of antennae shorter than fourth. 



1380. pedalis. 



cc. Antennae strongly serrate, joints not longer than wide, their outer 

 angles acute. 



e. Antennae with third joint triangular in both sexes. 



/. Legs pale; elytra pale, dull yellow, margins blackish near tips. 



1381. NIGRICOLLIS. 



ff. Legs black. 



g. Elytra in great part black or fuscous. 



h. Basal and lateral margins of elytra scarlet. discoideus. 



