104 



INTRODUCTION. 



can only be distinguished superficially by the shape of the antennae 

 and the smaller number of visible segments. One or two of the 

 genera, such as Calonecrus and Ctilodes, are larger and very peculiar 

 in structure and facies. 



The habits of the Nitidulidje are very various. One large group 

 lives in flowers, while another is found at sap or at the exudations 

 of trees infested by boring insects ; others again are found in 

 fungi, others in decaying animal substances, or under bones, while 

 the cosmopolitan genus Carpophilus is found among grain, or dry 

 preserved fruits ; the peculiar genus Amphctis is attached to ants' 

 nests. 



The classification of the Nitidulid;e has given rise to a good 

 deal of dispute, not so much on its general points, as with regard 

 to the inclusion or exclusion of two or three subfamilies. The 

 Rhizophagin.e and Cybocephalin^e have, in the past, been 

 removed from the group, but they have been rightly restored to it, 

 and Horn is also right in including the Smicripinje. In the 

 latter subfamily, however, as Ganglbauer has pointed out, the tarsi 

 are 4-jointed, with the third joint hard to distinguish, and not 

 ^-jointed as given by Horn and Leconte in their table (Classif. Col. 

 North America, p. 149) ; with one or two alterations this table 

 may with advantage be adopted as follows : — 



Antennae 11-jointed, terminated by a 

 plainly 3-jointed club; tarsi isomerous, 

 similar in the two sexes. 



i. Tarsi 5-jointed. 



1 . Labrum free, more or less visible. 



A. Maxillre with two lobes ; antennie 



with a feeble club ; abdomen with 

 two or more segments exposed . . 



B. Maxillas with one lobe ; antennas 



with a distinct club. 



a. Pronotum not margined at base ; 



head horizontal. 



a*. Abdomen with two segments 

 exposed 



b*. Abdomen covered or with 

 only part of the pygidhim 

 exposed , 



b. Pronotum margined at base, 



covering the base of the elytra ; 

 head more or less defiexed. . . . 



2. Labrum connate with the epistoma ; 



form elongate-oblong or oblong ; 

 stridulatmg organs as a rule present. 



ii. Tarsi plainly 4-jointed ; pronotum 



margined at the base and covering the 

 base of the elytra (as in Cychramin^e); 

 body spherical and retractile 



Brachypterenle. 



Carpophilin^e. 



NlTIDULlNiE. 



Cyohramin^e. 



Ipinje. 



CYBOCEPHALIN.E. 



