102 



INTRODUCTION. 



[Family 31. HELOTIDiE.] 



Form elongate-oblong ; head small, antennae, short, with a four- 

 jointed club ; labrum almost concealed; mentum transverse, anterior 

 margin sinuate ; anterior and middle coxal cavities closed, quite round, 

 cdl the coxa 1 widely separated.: abdomen with Jive visible ventral 

 segments; disc of elytra with two raised waxy spots on each, one 

 before and the other behind middle; tarsi with Jive distinct joints, the 

 fifth being longer than the rest combined. 



This family has usually been considered 

 to belong to the EitoTYLiDiE, but it comes 

 nearer to the Trogositidte in its tarsal 

 structure ; it is also closely related to Ips 

 among the JNitidulid^e. The general 

 form, the shape of the coxal cavities, and 

 the characteristic waxy patches on the disc 

 of the elytra will serve to distinguish it. 

 The number of species at present known 

 is about forty ; these are confined to the 

 Indo- Malay region and Japan, with the 

 exception of one which has occurred in 

 East Africa. Mr. Lewis has observed 

 them feeding on the sap of trees. They 

 have always been regarded as scarce 

 insects, but species will almost certainly 

 be found in the Indian region proper. 



[Family 32. BYTUIUDiE.] 



Antennae inserted before the eyes, eleven-jointed, with a three- 

 jointed club ; coxce narrowly separated ; anterior coxal cavities closed 

 behind ; epimera of mesosternum reaching the middle coxal cavities ; 

 elytra entirely covering abdomen; tarsi Jive-jointed, with the fourth 

 joint small, and with the second and third joints lobed beneath; claws 

 toothed ; abdomen with Jive free ventral segments. 



This is a very doubtful family as regards position. Erichson 

 classed it with the Melyridje, Stephens with the ENGiDiE, 

 Du Val with the TelmatophilidvE, Latreille and Kiesenwetter 

 with the Nitidulid.e, and Eedtenbacher, Lacordaire (who speaks 

 of Byturus as " genre tres embarrasant "), and recently Sharp, 

 with the Dermestidje. In my work on British Coleoptera 

 (iii, p. 305) I have placed it as a separate family between the 

 Cucujidje and the Cryptophagid^e, near the tribe Telmato- 

 philina, to which it is closely related by its tarsal structure. 



Fig. 4&.—Hehta 

 servillei. 



