THE FIREFLIES OR LIGHTNING BUGS. 



dorsal surface of the abdomen ; head not narrowed into a neck and 

 mandibles not toothed. But two species have been taken in Indi- 

 ana, though others doubtless occur. 



KEY TO INDIANA SPECIES OP MALTHODES. 



a. Thorax piceous; next to last ventral segment of male inflated, deeply 

 and broadly excavated, its side lobes large, broad, triangular. 



1602. CONCAVUS. 



aa. Thorax yellow or reddish-piceous ; last ventral of male with long com- 

 plex processes. 



6. Last ventral of male narrow, prolonged, cleft or nicked at tip ; thorax 

 yellow. 1603. EXILIS. 



66. Last ventral wider, parallel, channeled its full length, curved up- 

 ward and forked at tip ; thorax rufo-piceous. curvatus. 



1602 (4979). Malthodes concavus Lee, Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., V, 



1851, 346. 



Elongate, slender. Piceous; head blackish; base of antenna* and part 

 of abdomen dull yellow. Head wider than thorax ; eyes very large, convex, 

 prominent. Antenna rather stout, reaching beyond tips of elytra, second 

 and third joints equal. Thorax one-half wider than long, sides narrowly 

 margined, impressed near front angles, which are rounded. Elytra two- 

 thirds as long as wings. Last ventral elongate, slightly nicked at tip. 

 Length 2-3 mm. 



Dubois County; rare. May 12. 



1603 (4981). Malthodes exilis Melsh., Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., II, 1845 



305. 



Elongate, slender. Dull brown; thorax and front legs yellow; head 

 black ; antennae dusky, with two basal joints paler. Thorax one-third wider 

 than long, finely margined, front and hind angles obtusely rounded, apex 

 subtruncate, base feebly rounded. Elytra two-thirds the length of abdomen, 

 separated at apex, surface finely rugulose ; a small rounded smooth spot at 

 tip of each. Antennae of male two-thirds, of female half the length of body, 

 the fourth and following joints longer than second or third. Length 2.5- 

 3 mm. 



Kosciusko, Knox, Dubois and Perry counties ; scarce. May 12- 

 June 8. Beaten from bushes along the margins of marshes. 



M. curvatus Lee, piceous, head black, legs dull yellow, length 

 3 mm., was described from Illinois. 



Family XLI. MALAGHIID M. 



The Soft- winged Flower Beetles. 



A family of small extent, comprising small, soft-winged species 

 which bear a general resemblance to the Lampyrida\ but are shorter, 

 and have the elytra more or less truncate and broadest near the 



