904 



FAMILY XLIX. LUCANIDJE. 



fitted for digging ; front coxse large, transverse, without trOchantin, 

 the cavities closed behind; front tibiae more or less toothed on the 

 outer side; middle and hind tibiae each with two teeth on the 

 outer side; tarsi slender, 5-jointed; claws simple, with a short 

 bristle-bearing pad between them. 



The name Lucanicla? is from that of the typical genus Lucanus, 

 which is derived from a Latin word meaning "to shine" or "sun- 

 rise," in allusion to the glistening surface of the elytra in the mem- 

 bers of that genus. The adult beetles live by day in or beneath 

 decaying logs or stumps, and some of them take flight at dusk, when 

 they are often attracted in large numbers by electric and other 

 lights. Some of them are said to feed upon honey dew, or the exu- 

 dations of the leaves and bark of trees. They lay their eggs in 

 crevices in the bark of trees, especially near the roots, and the 

 larvae feed upon the juices of wood in various stages of decay. In 

 form the iarvaa resemble the ordinary white grubs of the genus 

 Lachnosterna and they mature slowly, some of the large ones re- 

 quiring six years to complete their growth. 



The principal literature relating to the North American species 

 is as follows : 



Fuchs, Chas:— 1 1 Synopsis of the Lucanidae of the United 



States," in Bull. Brook. Entom. Soc, V, 1882, 49-60. 

 Wickham. H. F. — "The Lucanidae of Ontario and Quebec," in 



Can. Ent, XXXI, 1899, 21-25. 

 Between 500 and 600 species of stag beetles are known. Of these 

 only nineteen species and several varieties, distributed among eight 

 genera, are recognized as belonging to the North American fauna. 

 Eight species, representing six genera, have been taken in Indiana. 



KEY TO INDIANA GENERA OF LUCANIDJE. 



a. Antennae elbowed at end of first joint, which is nearly or quite as long 

 as all the others united. (Fig. 4, No. 13.) 

 ft. Elytra smooth or nearly so; front tibiae with large teeth on outer 

 edge ; size large, 20-35 ram. I. Lucanus. 



~bl>. Elytra striate and punctate. 



c. Eyes strongly notched by the margin of the head ; front tibia? ser- 

 rulate ; size larger, 15-25 mm. II. Dorcus. 

 cc. Eyes entire or nearly so ; size smaller. 10-12 mm. 



III. Platycerus. 



aa. Antennae straight (not elbowed). 



d. Form oblong or elongate, sides parallel or nearly so; elytra striate, 

 glabrous. 



e. Front of head simply excavated or with a depression ; size smaller, 

 not over 15 mm. IV. Ceruchus. 



