TRICIIOPTEEYGIDJE. — HYDKOSCAPHIDiE. 



«s7 



from South and Central America, being the smallest Coleopterous 

 insect at present known. They are found in all sorts of places, 

 among rubbish and leaves, under seaweed 

 on the sea-shore, in fungi, under bark, in 

 rotten wood, etc. The wings vary in shape, 

 but are pedunculate and usually more or 

 less lanceolate. The larvae are elongate 

 and parallel-sided, with a large triangular 

 head and large eyes, and two hairy anal 

 appendages ; and the pupa is short and ovate. 



The chief worker at the group has been 

 the Rev. A. Matthews, whose accurate 

 drawings of the details of these minute 

 insects could hardly be surpassed. 



Very little is known regarding the Indian 

 jig. 4l._ Trichopteryx species, but three or four species of Tri- 

 cursitans. chopteryoo and one species of Ptenidium are 



known from Ceylon. 

 Some very curious forms have been described in the posthumous 

 Supplement of Mr. Matthews' " Trichopterygia," published in 



Fig. 42.— Wing of MotschuUMum. (After Matthews.) 



1900 by the late Mr. P. B. Mason of Burton-on-Trent, Stafford- 

 shire ; of these Ghampionella, Dimorphella, and Mikado are 

 particularly noticeable. 



[Family 19. HYDEOSCAPHIDiE.] 



Minute aquatic insects (from 1-2 mm. in length), elongate-conical 

 in shape, ivith the abdomen produced and narrow, the produced 

 portion being about as long as the elytra ; antennce short, eight-jointed 

 (the apex of the long eighth joint being, according to Matthews, 

 divided into two minute joints), subclaviform ; ivings broad, deeply 

 fringed with hairs ; tarsi three-jointed. 



