/ 
516 
INSECTA, 
Fig. 62. — Hister nnicolor. 
Ilololepta, Payk., has the body very much flattened ; the prosternum is not advanced over the mouth, and the 
four posterior tibise have only a single row of spines. These insects are found beneath the bark of trees. The 
larva figured by Paykull as that of one of these insects, belongs to the genus Syrphus or Musca. 
Hister is composed of species having the prosternum advanced over the mouth, with the maxillae terminated by 
a short lobe, and the palpi but little advanced ; some of which have only a single row of spines on the four hind 
tibiae. These also live under the bark of trees, and compose Leach’s genera Platysoma and Dendrophilus ; the 
first of which has the body flattened, H. picipes, Fabr. Those species which have two rows of spines on the four 
hind tibiae compose Leach’s restricted genus Hister. Ex., H. unicolor, Linn., one-third of an inch long ; entirely 
black and shining, and extremely common. M. Paykull has employed the number of teeth 
in the tibiae, and of the striae and punctures of the thorax and elytra, as well as the form of 
the body, to distinguish the species. 
A terminal division of this tribe comprises those Histeroides of very small size, having 
a nearly globose thick body, with the prosternum but slightly compressed at the sides ; 
not advanced over the mouth, and straight in front. 
Abrccus, Leach, has the prosternum prolonged as far as the anterior angles of the thorax, 
entirely concealing the antennae when retracted. H. globosus, Pa^^k. 
Onthophilus, Leach, has the prosternum narrowed, and the club of the antennae lodged 
in an orbicular cavity situated beneath the anterior angles of the thorax. H. sulcatus, Pk. 
Ceutocerus, Germar, appears to approach Hister in the form of the antennae, feet, &c., 
but the elytra entirely cover the abdomen, and the jaws are not exserted. 
[The monograph of the genus Hister, by Paykull, published at Upsal, 1811, and Sturm’s DeutscMands Fauna, 
contains descriptions and figures of a great number of species ; whilst Dr. Erichson has added considerably to 
the number of generic groups in the tribe, in an admirable memoir published in Dr. King’s Jahrbucher.'] 
The other Clavicornes have the feet inserted at equal distances apart. Such of these insects as 
have these organs not contractile, or with the tarsi merely folded upon the tihise, the mandibles gene- 
rally exposed and flattened, or hut little thickened, and the prosternum dilated in front, compose five 
other tribes. 
The third tribe, Silphales, possesses five very distinct joints in all the tarsi, and the mandibles are 
terminated in an entire point, without notch or slit. The antennae are terminated generally in a per- 
foliated club of four or five joints. The maxillae have generally a horny tooth on the inner edge ; the 
anterior tarsi are often dilated, at least in the males ; the elytra of the greater number have a depressed 
line along the outer edge, which is turned up. This tribe consists of the genus 
SiLPHA, Linn. {Pettis, Geoflfr,). 
Spheerites, Duftsch., Sarapus, Fisch., has the antennae suddenly terminated in a short solid mass, formed of the 
last four joints ; the second is larger than the following. The body nearly square ; elytra truncate : tibiae dentate. 
These insects so nearly resemble Hister, that Fabricius united them with that genus. Type, Hister glabratus, Fabr. 
[an insect of small size, lately detected in Scotland]. 
The rest have the antennae terminated in a perfoliated mass. 
Some of these have the body oblong, with the head narrowed into a neck behind the eyes ; as broad, or scarcely 
narrower, than the front margin of the thorax ; the elytra are oblong ; truncate behind ; the hind thighs, at least 
in the males, are generally thickened, and the anterior tarsi are dilated in the males. 
Necrophorus, Fabr., has the antennae terminated by a nearly globular 4-joiuted mass ; the body is parallelopiped, 
and the maxillae want the horny tooth. The instinctive habits which these insects possess of burying small quad- 
rupeds, has caused them to be named Sexton, or Burying Beetles. When a dead Mouse or Mole, &c. is observed, 
these insects creep beneath it, dig away the earth until the hole is sufficiently deep to receive the animal, which 
they pull in towards them, and in which they then deposit their eggs, the larvae feeding upon the carcase. These 
larvae are long, of a greyish white, with the upper side of the anterior segments armed with a scaly plate of a 
brown colour, and with small elevated points upon the posterior. They have six legs and strong mandibles. 
Previous to assuming the pupa state they bury themselves deeply into the earth, where they construct a cell, 
which they line with a glutinous secretion. These insects, like many others equally carnivorous, have a strong 
smell of musk. It appears that their powers of scent must be very great, as in a very little time after a Mole 
has been killed some of them are seen hovering over the body, although they had not been previously observed 
in the vicinity. The digestive canal of the Necrophori and Silphse is at least three times as long as the body ; the 
intestinal canal is very long. 
Necrophorus vespillo, Linn., is from two-thirds to seven-eighths of an inch 
long; black, with the three terminal joints of the antennae red, and two orange- 
coloured bands on the elytra ; the coxae of the hind-legs armed with a strong 
tooth. [There are several species closely allied to this insect, which is very 
common in England ; and it is to be observed that they occasionally frequent 
rotten fungus and boleti, as well as animal matter in a decaying state.] Some of 
the species from North America surpass the rest in size. 
Necrodes, Wilkin ; Silpha, Linn., has the antennae evidently longer than the 
head, and terminated by an elongated 5-jointed mass; the body is oval oblong ; lig. 63.— Necrophorus vespillo. 
