CISTELID.E. — MONOMMIDJS. 



163 



Family 75. CISTELID.E. 



Closely allied to the Tenebjuoxid.e, from which they differ in 

 having the tarsal claws pectinate ; antenna? inserted under small 

 frontal ridges, which are often almost obsolete ; coxa 3 somewhat 

 variable, anterior pair varying from globose and subtransverse to 

 conical; coxdl cavities closed behind; legs usually long, posterior 

 tarsi with the first joint elongate and the penultimate often bilobed ; 

 abdomen with five (sometimes six) visible ventral segments, the first 

 three being more or less closely connected. 



About 500 species of this family are known. The only rea 

 point on which they can be separated from the Texebbjoxid.e is 

 the pectination of the tarsal claws ; the larva?, however, very 

 closely resemble those of the latter family ; there seems, there- 

 fore, to be no strong reason for separating the families, and some 

 authors have united them. Many of the species occur on flowers, 

 and the larvae are usually found in dead wood. A few genera 

 (e. g. Cistela, Allecida, Cistelomorpha, etc.) are represented in 

 India. 



Family 76. MONOMMID.E. 



Small oval insects; head horizontal, prominent ; antennae, inserted 

 under the frontal margin, and received in grooves on the underside of 

 the prothorax, eleven-jointed, last three joints forming a club; anterior 

 coxce distinct, very small, cavities open behind ; middle and posterior 

 coxce widely separated, the latter transverse ; legs strongly retractile ; 

 tarsi slightly pubescent beneath. 



The members of this family in general form and structure are 

 very like Lissomus (Throscid.e), and in the Munich Catalogue 

 they are placed between the Trixagid.e (Throsctile) and Eucxe- 

 mid.e ; thejr also bear a superficial resemblance to certain 

 Erotylid.e. They are upwards of 100 in number, and include 

 two genera, Monomma and Hyporrhagus ; the latter belongs to the 

 New World, and the former is chiefly confined to Madagascar ; 

 one species, M. brunnewn, Thorns., has been recorded from India. 



This appears to be one of the doubtful groups which might be 

 excluded from the Heteromeea as exceptional, like Acritus, Atu- 

 sotoma, etc. ; at present there is no consistent rule in the matter. 



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