MYCETOPHAGlDiE. — COLYBIID^. 



115 



towards the Dermestid/E. Many of the species of the genus 

 Mycetopliagus are somewhat brightly coloured insects ; they live in 

 fungi on old wood for the most part, and are very active when 

 disturbed ; the genus Typhcea is found in mouldy hay, etc. 



The larvae are linear and elongate with very scanty long hairs 

 at the sides of the segments, and there is nothing remarkable about 

 them ; the last segment terminates in two hooked processes, and 

 the anal process is only visible on close examination. 



Now that several discordant elements, such as Byturus, Di- 

 phyllus, and Mycetoma, have been removed from the family, it is 

 fairly homogeneous and has been regarded as consisting of one 

 subfamily. Ganglbauer, however (I. c. p. 823), has removed 

 Eeitter's subfamily EsarcinvE (founded on the European genus 

 Esarcus, E-eiche) from the Colydiid.e to the Mtcetophagid^e, as 

 suggested by Seidlitz (D. E. Z. 1889, p. 147), and he is probably 

 right in so doing. 



Family 44. COLYDIID^E. 



Form variable but mostly elongate and cylindrical; antennce ten- 

 or eleven- jointed, rarely eight- jointed, as a ride terminated by a 

 distinct club, but sometimes gradually thickened; anterior coocal 

 cavities almost always closed behind ; mesosternum small ; meta- 

 sternum large ; elytra never truncate, always covering the abdomen; 

 tarsi simple, all four-jointed, very occasionally three-jointed (Disco- 

 lomiNjE) ; abdomen with jive visible ventral segments, the anterior 

 ones more or less connate. 



The members of this family are usually of an elongate and more 

 or less cylindrical form, but exceptions occur as in the genera 

 Endophlceus, Cacotarphius, Acropis, etc. They may be known for 

 the most part by the small globular anterior and middle coxae and 

 the4-jointed simple tarsi. They are found under bark of trees, on 

 old stumps, in fungi and occasionally (Langelandia) underground. 



Dr. Sharp remarks that the family is of interest, " owing to 

 the great diversity of form, to the extraordinary sculpture and 

 clothing exhibited by many of its members, and to the fact that 

 most of its members are attached to the primitive forests and 

 disappear entirely when these are destroyed. New Zealand has 

 produced the greatest number of forms and the forests of Teneriff e 

 are rich in the genus Tarphius." 



The larvae of Ditoma crenata, Aulonium sulcatum, and others are 

 well known ; they are elongate and parallel-sided with the segments 

 not differing much in length throughout, and terminating in two 

 short horny processes, which are characteristic of the Colydiid 

 larvae; the head is somewhat narrow, subquadrate, and the legs 

 are short with claw-like tarsi. 



About 600 species are at present known, many of which are 



i 2 



