DASCILLIDJE. — HELODID.E. 



133 



ii. First and second ventral segments not 

 connate; integument occasionally me- 

 tallic, but much less so as a rule than 

 in the Bupbesttdje ; larvae more or 

 less parallel-sided, rarely (e. g. Melasis) 

 with the anterior segment a little 

 broader than the rest. 



1. Anterior coxal cavities open behind, 



but entirely prosternal Elateridae, p. 151. 



2. Anterior coxal cavities formed partly 



by the prosternum and partly by the 



mesosterimm Throscidae, p. 154. 



Family 56. DASCILLIDJE. 



Antennce inserted immediately in front of the eyes, eleven-jointed, 

 serrate, rarely pectinate or flabellate ; mandibles short ; meutum 

 chitinous ; ligula large, membranous, often divided, into narrow 

 lobes ; anterior and posterior coxce transverse, the latter forming a 

 plate for the reception of the femora, the former with a large tro- 

 chantin ; tarsi Jive-jointed, often with membranoits lobes beneath ; 

 larvce (as far as known) with short, few-jointed, antenna'. 



This family ought perhaps to be associated with the Dryopid.e 

 and BYKRHiDiE, to which it is closely related. Probably about 

 100 species are known, hardly any of which have been found in 

 India ; two species only, belonging to the genus Dascillus, are 

 mentioned in Gemmiuger and Von Harold's catalogue. 



The larva of Dascillus has recently been described aud figured 

 by Mr. C. J. Gahan (Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1908, ii, p. 280, 

 pi. vi, fig. 2). It is short and stout, broad throughout, but 

 narrower behind than in front, with a very large broad head, and 

 large and prominent triturating mandibles ; the antennae are 

 4-jointed, very short, not extending to the apex of the mandibles. 

 In almost every respect the larva differs widely from those of the 

 Helodid.e which are at present known. 



Family 57. HELODIDiE. 



In many points agreeing with the Dascilliile, with ivhich it 

 has been classed as a sub-family by many authors ; the integument, 

 however, is much softer, the antennce are filiform and much more 

 slender, and the anterior coxce have no trochantin ; the larva is 

 quite different, possessing long, filamentous, many -jointed antennce, 

 which are often half as long as the body. 



A considerable number of small delicate insects with very soft 

 and delicate integument and loosely articulated limbs are comprised 



