1242 



SERIES VI. HETEROMERA. 



entire body, subserrate. Thorax a little wider at base than long, sides fee- 

 bly curved, surface densely punctured. Elytra slightly wider at base than 

 thorax, together nearly as wide as long; striae indistinctly punctured, inter- 

 vals flat, finely and rugosely punctured. Length 2-2.5 mm. 



Floyd County; rare. June 23. Readily known by the great 

 length of antennae. 



Series VI. HETEROMERA. 

 This series is sharply limited and is distinguished primarily, as 

 the name implies, by the different number of tarsal joints, those of 

 the front and middle legs always having five, while the hind legs 

 have but four.* The food of the larvae is exceedingly variable, but 

 consists for the most part of decaying vegetable matter, as rotten 

 wood and fungi. Some, however, are carnivorous or parasitic. The 

 following families of the series are represented in Indiana : 



KEY TO INDIANA FAMILIES OF HETEROMERA. 



a. Front coxal cavities closed behind. 

 6. Tarsal claws simple. 



c. Next to last joint of tarsi not spongy beneath ; front coxae short, 

 not projecting from the cavities; tarsi without lobes beneath; 

 antennae usually more or less bead-like, as long as head and tho- 

 rax ; color almost always black or dark brown. 



Family LV. Tenebrionid.e, p. 1243. 

 cc. Next to last joint of tarsi spongy beneath ; front coxa> more promi- 

 nent; form elongate, slender; thorax in our species subcylin- 

 drical, narrower than elytra ; length 7-14 mm. 



Family LYII. Lagriid.e, p. 1284. 

 J)b. Tarsal claws pectinate or comb-like; form usually elongate-oval, con- 

 vex ; thorax not narrowed behind and usually as wide at base as 

 elytra, its side margins distinct; color usually brownish; length 

 less than 12 mm. Family LVI. Cistelhxe. p. 1270. 



aa. Front coxal cavities open behind. 



d. Head not strongly and suddenly constricted behind the eyes. 

 e. Middle coxa? not very prominent. 



/. Thorax margined at sides, broad at base, its disk with basal im- 

 pressions; form usually elongate, loosely jointed; maxillary 

 palpi usually long and pendulous, with the joints enlarged. 



Family LVIII. Melandbyid.e, p. 12S6. 

 ff. Thorax not margined, narrower behind, disk not impressed at 

 base; form usually long and narrow; head sometimes pro- 

 longed into a beak. Family LIX. Pythid.e, p. 1302. 



*It would seem that the family Sphindids should be placed here, though usually classed with the Serricornia. 



