THE FIREFLIES OR LIGHTNING BUGS. 



325 



1570 (4863); Tytthonyx erythocephaltjs F;il>.. Syst. Eleut, II. L801, 105. 



Oblong, compressed. Black, opaque, sparsely and finely pubescenl : 

 front, occiput and under surface of head reddish-yellow. Thorax trans- 

 verse, truncate in front, broadly rounded behind, the sides short, inflexed. 

 Elytra one-half as long as abdomen, rounded at tip ; wings straight, extend- 

 ing along the dorsal surface of the abdomen. Length 4 mm. 



Marion and Posey counties; scarce. .May 17- July 3. Occurs 

 on leaves of various shrubs. 



Subfamily III. TELEPHORINAE. 



The members of this subfamily differ from those of the two pre- 

 ceding by having the mouth organs more strongly developed; eyes 

 smaller ; antenna? more widely separated at base and by the straight 

 or nearly straight outline of the inner side of the metathoracic 

 episterna. Light organs are wholly lacking and the sexes are quite 

 similar in form and the development of the wings. The subfamily 

 is separated into three tribes, all of which are represented in In- 

 diana. 



KEY TO TRIBES OF TELEPH0RI1NLE. 



a. Tarsi with joints three and four lobed beneath ; mentum short. 



Tribe I. Omethfni, p. 825. 

 a a. Tarsi simple or with the fourth joint only lobed beneath. 



1). Mentum very long, wider in front; prosternum feebly developed, 

 separated by a membrane from the surrounding parts. 



Tribe II. Chaf/uognathini, p. 826. 

 hb. Mentum small, quadrate, often semimembranous ; prosternum normal, 

 fully developed. Tribe III. Telephorini, p. 828. 



Tribe I. OMETHINI. 



This tribe comprises two genera of small oblong beetles pos- 

 sessing the characters of the tribe Telephorini as set forth on a suc- 

 ceeding page, but having the third and fourth joints of the tarsi 

 prolonged or lobed beneath. The typical genus, Omethes, is repre- 

 sented in the eastern United States by a single species, 0. margi- 

 natus Lee which has been taken by Dury near Cincinnati and 

 therefore probably occurs in the southern third of the State. The 

 other genus is established for a new species, closely allied to 

 Omethes, which has been taken in three of the southern counties. 



KEY TO GEXERA OF THE TRIBE OMEFH1XI. 



a. Elytra with finely impressed stria?; clypeus truncate; antenna? alike in 

 the sexes. Omethes. 

 aa. Elytra wholly without strap; clypeus broadly emarginate; antenna? un- 

 like in the sexes. XVI. Bianchardia. 



