164 



INTRODUCTION. 



[Family 77. NILIONIME.] 



Hemispherical insects, resembling Coccinellidje ; head vertical, 

 resting in repose against the anterior coxcv ; eyes transverse ; antenna? 

 eleven-jointed, inserted in front of the eyes; prothorax foliaceous at the 

 sides ; anterior and intermediate coxce moderately ', posterior strongly, 

 transverse, anterior coxal cavities apparently open behind* ; tarsi 

 filiform; claws simple ; abdomen with five visible ventral segments ; 

 epimera of the mesosternum very large. 



These insects have been classed with the TenebrionidjE, from 

 which they are separated by having the anterior coxal cavities 

 apparently open behind, and the reflexed portion of the elytra 

 very broad ; they have been raised to the dignity of a separate 

 family simply because it has been found impossible to class them, 

 with any other, although it seems doubtful whether this will stand 

 eventually. It has been proposed to remove them to the Clavi- 

 corns, in spite of their heteromerous tarsi. The family contains 

 about twenty or thirty species from Central and Tropical America ; 

 they are found walking slowly on fungi or on the trunks of trees 

 near fungi, and when alarmed feign death, but do not fall. 

 Lacordaire, who has recorded these facts (v, p. 519), says that 

 they exhale strongly the peculiar smell of the boletophagous 

 Heteromera. 



[Family 78. PETRIIDiF.] 



Form slender, elongate ; antenna*, inserted before the eyes, eleven- 

 jointed, long and filiform ; head very slightly narrowed behind the 

 eyes, but not pedunculate ; eyes sub reniform ; prothorax subcylindrical, 

 narrower than the elytra ; anterior coxal cavities almost closed behind, 

 anterior coxce subcorneal, not transverse, prominent and nearly con- 

 tiguous, intermediate pair contiguous, posterior pair slightly separated, 

 strongly transverse ; elytra not reaching the apex of the abdomen, more 

 or less strongly dehiscent ; wings ample, exserted ; abdomen with five 

 free segments, mobile ; legs long and slender, tarsi slender, elongate, 

 neither squamose nor ciliate beneath ; claivs slender and simple. 



The members of this family are weak and loosely fitting insects,, 

 and appear to resemble certain Cerambycid.e. They are allied 

 to the CistelievE and (Edemerid^e ; from the former they differ 

 in general shape and in the formation of the anterior coxal 

 cavities etc., and from the latter in the insertion of the antennas,. 



* According to Sharp (/. e. ii, p. 265) these cavities are really closed, 

 although they have the appearance of being open in consequence of the tips of 

 the epimera being free. Lacordaire (Gen. Coleopt. v, p. 818) sajs : " leurs 

 cavites cotyloides ouvertes en arriere." 



