THE FIREFLIES OR LIGHTNING BUGS. 



809 



search of their prey. All are for the most part carnivorous in 

 diet, especially in the larval stage, feeding mostly upon small 

 worms, larva? of other insects, and snails, and are therefore to be 

 considered among our more beneficial beetles. The larva? are elon- 

 gated, flattened, usually a little tapering toward each end, of a 

 tough or leathery texture and often clothed with short hairs. They 

 are furnished with sharp, slender projecting jaws with which they 

 seize their prey. They occur usually beneath rubbish on the ground, 

 or under the bark of logs and dead trees, where they lie -in wait for 

 small wood-eating larva 1 . 



The principal literature treating of the North American species 

 of the family is as follows : 



LeConte. — "Synopsis of the Lampyridcs of Temperate North 



America," in Proe. Phil. Acad. Sci., V, 1851, 331-347. 

 LeConte. — ' ' Synopsis of the Lampyridse of the IT. S.," in Trans. 



Amer. Entom. Soc, IX, 1881, 35-72. 

 Nearly 1,500 species of LampyrMse are known, about 230 of 

 which, distributed among 42 genera, are from the United States. 

 Of these, 68 species, belonging to 25 genera, have been taken in In- 

 diana. For convenience the family is divided into three subfam- 

 ilies, all of which are represented in the State. 



KEY TO SUBFAMILIES OF LAMPYRID.F. 



a. Middle coxaa separated ; elytra for the most part reticulate ; epipleura 

 wanting ; abdomen without phosphorescent organs. 



Subfamily I. Lycin.e, p. 809. 

 aa. Middle coxae contiguous; elytra not reticulate; epipleura distinct. 



&. Head nearly or quite covered by the thorax ; episterna of metathorax 

 sinuate on the inner side; epipleura usually wide at the base of 

 the elytra ; phosphorescent organs usually present. 



Subfamily II. Lampyrin.e, p. 816. 

 Head wholly uncovered by the thorax ; episterna of metathorax not 

 sinuate on the inner side; epipleura narrow at the base; phos- 

 phorescent organs absent. Subfamily III. Tele piiortn.e, p. 825. 



Subfamily L LYCINAE. 

 The members of this subfamily are diurnal and occur usually on 

 the leaves and flowers of plants, where they seek insect food. They 

 have the epipleura reduced to a narrow thickened marginal line, 

 and the middle coxa- rather widely separated by the mesosternum. 

 The elytra are usually costate and coarsely reticulate, with fine 

 elevated lines forming a coarse network. The head is sometimes 

 prolonged in front of the eyes into a long, narrow beak. To the 



