114 



INTRODUCTION. 



of the forehead; anterior coxce globular or conical, more or less 

 prominent, posterior coxa' transverse, separated ; tarsi always three- 

 jointed ; abdomen with jive or six free ventral segments. 



About 600 to 700 species of this family are known, hardly any 

 of which are more than 2 mm. in length. They are found in moss, 

 faggots and decaying wood, fungi (especially when somewhat dry 

 and shrivelied or powdery), among dried plants in collections, and 

 in all sorts of dry vegetable rubbish ; some species are found in 

 dried carcases and a few are myrmecophilous. 



The larvae are soft and thin-skinned, elongate-oval or more or 

 less elliptical, with the body clothed with longer or shorter hairs ; 

 they are composed of twelve segments and terminate in a quadrate 

 appendage or pseudopod, which helps their progression, the legs 

 being short. The pupa of Lathridius minutus is very peculiar by 

 reason of the large and abruptly clavate pin-shaped hairs at the 

 sides. 



The MoNOTOMiniE have often been wrongly included under the 

 LathridiidvE, and several genera, such as Langelandia, Myrme- 

 coxenus, and Anommatus, which have been referred to it by 

 various authors, have now been rightly placed under other families. 

 Holoparamecus, Lathridius, and Corticaria are all represented in 

 the Indian fauna. Erotylathris has been described from Ceylon,, 

 and Tocalium (with two species) from India. 



The family may be divided as follows : — 



I. Antennae with the three or four last joints 



of the antennae separately thickened, spindle- 

 shaped, and set with long- curved hairs .... 



II. Antennas without long hairs at apex. 



i. Anterior coxal cavities closed behind. 



1. Anterior coxae separate; head longer be- 



fore the eyes; elytra often carinate .... 



2. Anterior coxa? contiguous ; head shorter 



before the eyes: elytra never carinate. . 



ii. Anterior coxal cavities open behind 



Dasycerinje. 



Lathridiin^e. 

 corticariinje. 



IlOLOPAEAMECINiE. 



Family 43. M YCETOPHAGIDiE. 



Antenna? inserted tinder the side margins of the forehead in front 

 of the eyes, eleven- jointed, with the apical joints gradually thickened 

 or forming a club ; head small and short ; anterior coxal cavities 

 open behind ; all the coxa 1 narrowly separated, anterior pair oval 

 and prominent; legs slender, tarsi four-jointed , except the anterior 

 pair in the male ivhich are three-jointed ; abdomen with five free and 

 equal visible ventral segments. 



This family, as at present constituted, is a small and unim- 

 portant one, and only about 100 species are known, very few 

 having been recorded from India. They are related to the Crypto- 

 phagiDjE and Lathridiid^e, and appear also to have some affinities 



