THE FIRE-COLORED BEETLES. 



1847 



long, comb-like processes in the male. The name is from that oj 

 the typical genus Pyrochroa, meaning ' 1 fire + color/ ' and was prob- 

 ably suggested by the presence of red or yellow in their coloration, 

 some of the foreign ones being almost wholly red. Our species live 

 in all stages under the half decayed bark of trees and have little 



economic importance. . 



In addition to the more prominent characters mentioned, the 

 Pyrochroidee have the eyes emarginate, rather coarsely granulate 

 and sometimes very large; antennae 11-jointed, inserted at the sides 

 of the front just before the eyes; elytra wider than the abdomen, 

 rounded at tips, the epipleime visible only near the base ; abdomen 

 with five free ventral segments, the fifth emarginate, exposing the 

 tip of sixth in male; front coxae large, conical, contiguous, the cavi- 

 ties widely open behind; middle coxae with distinct trochantms; 

 tarsi with next to last joint dilated, claws simple. 



The principal papers treating of the North American species 

 are as follows : ? f 



LeConte — ' ' Synopsis of the Pyrochroides of the United States, ' 

 in Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., VII, 1855, 274-275. 



Born.— "Synopsis of Dendroides," in Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 

 XV, 1888, 46-48. 



The 11 known species from North America are divided among 

 four genera, all of which are represented in Indiana. 



KEY TO GENERA OF PYROCHROID^. 



a Eves moderate in size, well separated. 

 ' 6. Antenna* simple; color dull yellow; thorax and elytra strongly cari- 



nate. ' . . , 



66. Antennae serrate or branched ; the branches more or less rigid. 



c Last joint of maxillary palpi long, priming-knife shaped; length 

 v ' J ii. Pyrochroa. 



13 or more mm. 



cc Last joint of maxillary palpi long, oval ; smaller, not over 8 mm. 



J HI. SCHIZOTUS. 



aa Eyes very large, sometimes nearly contiguous; branches of male an- 

 aa. uyeb & ' flov ^hiP IV. Dendroides. 



tennse very slender and flexible. 



I. Ischalia Pasc. (Gr., "dried up.") 



This genus is represented in the eastern United States by a 

 single small species which, on account of its peculiar sculpture, is 

 very different in appearance from any other Indiana beetle. The 

 body covering is much firmer than in other genera of the family 

 and the last joint of the maxillary palpi is large and hatchet-shaped. 



