THE COMB-CLAWED B ARK BEETLES. 



In addition to the above-mentioned characters the mbersof 



the family have the maxillary palpi pointed and often , lon^and 

 much dilated; head suddenly bnt moderately narrowed beh nd 

 eyes, which are usually large, transverse and emarginate; clyp 

 not distinct, labrum prominent, mandibles short ; antenn, 1 « 

 m0 re or less serrate, ll-jointed, the jomts. except three or t 

 the basal ones, studded with large circular, sparsely P 1 ^ ^ 

 pores; thorax with the side margins obvious; mesoste num short 

 he side pieces reaching the coxal cavities; metasternum long; elytr 

 U tips; abdomen with five or six ventral segmente tb 

 third and fourth of which are prolonged backwards and with their 

 hind margins leather-like; middle coxa, with distinct trochantins; 

 MM ^transverse, not widely separated, the intercom* .^m 

 in the Indiana genera being narrow, ^ nA ^ffZ~^ 

 lobed beneath, the front and middle ones five-jointed, the hind one. 



4 " j The e name of the family is derived from that of ^^V** 

 Cistela, which is a diminutive of the Greek fc^, a httle bo^or 

 ehest " and probably refers to the form of the insects The larvae 

 as far as known, somewhat resemble wire-worms in shape, live in 

 rotten wood and have no special economic importance. 



The principal literature treating of the North American forms 



is as follows: . . 



LeCmh.-" Synoptic table of the genus Hymenorus, m lse« 



Sp N Am. Col., I, 1866, 135. 

 /.,,W«, Synoptic table of species of Mycetochares, ,» 



Proc Amer. Phil. Soc, XVII. 1878, 616-61 < . 

 Cam-'.' Synopsis of the Cistelid* of the U. S.," in Ann. N. Y. 



Acad. Sci., VI, 1891, 69-170. 

 Casev in his Synopsis recognizes 14 genera as belonging to the 

 family Of these' representatives of seven have been taken m In- 

 diana, while those of another perhaps occur. 



KEY TO INDIANA GENERA OF CISTELID.E. 



onions and parallel. 



more or less compressed and serrate. 



