CANTHAEIDiE. 



135 



Family 59. CANTHARID^E (TELEPHORID^E). 



Form variable, but in most cases, except in the Lychste, elongate ; 

 integument soft ; body loosely jointed ; antenna- filiform or more or 

 less serrate, rarely pectinate, Jtabellate or plumose, usually eleven- 

 jointed ; anterior and intermediate coxae conico-cylindrical, the 

 trochantins of the first always distinct ; poster ior coxm transverse,; 

 abdomen ivith seven or eight visible ventral segments ; legs usually 

 long and slender, never much thickened, tarsi Jive-jointed ; female, 

 in certain cases, inithout wings or elytra, and then, as a ride, 

 luminous. 



This family is bere regarded as including the Lycixte, Lam- 

 pyreNjE, Caxth/vrtx.e and Drilix^e. These are sometimes 

 regarded as distinct families, but they can hardly be separated. 

 Sharp adopts the name Malacodermid^e for the family, but, as 

 this or a similar term has been used by many authors in a much 

 wider sense, it is better not to adopt it for a restricted group. We 

 have here employed the name Caxtharid^e as this seems to be now 

 most generally accepted, although it must be allowed that some 

 confusion has arisen from the fact that Caniharis has for many 

 years been used for Lytta. It is better, however, to correct this 

 confusion than to continue it, as the term Catstharid^e seems to 

 be rightly used in this connection on the grounds of priority. 



The four subfamilies may be divided as follows : — 



I. Antennae inserted on the upper surface of the 



head, or at the base of the projecting portion 

 of the front. 



i. Intermediate coxae distant LyciNiE. 



ii. Intermediate coxae contiguous. 



1. Antennae more or less approximate ; epi- 



pleurae usually wide at the base Lampyrinje. 



2. Antennae distant ; epipleurae narrow at the , ri 



base ' Can thar iNiE. 



II. Antennae inserted 'at ' the' sides' of the' front', ' (Telephorinje). 



before the eyes ; intermediate coxae contiguous. DRiLiNiE. 



The total number of species of LAMPYRiXiE at present known 

 must amount to over 2000. The Lycloe are chiefly found in the 

 tropics, while the Caxtharix.e are more characteristic of tem- 

 perate climates ; the Lampyrix.e are well represented in both, 

 although a larger number are apparently found in warm countries, 

 and the same may be said of the comparatively few genera of the 

 DrilixvE ; the genus Drilus itself, however, appears to be almost 

 confined to the temperate zone. 



The Lycix^e are diurnal and are found on the leaves of plants 

 and in flowers ; they are carnivorous in their habits ; in form they 

 are very variable, the genus Lycus being very peculiar with much 



