1975] 
Lawrence & Stephan — Cerylonidae 
133 
appendix longer than the terminal segment, the tarsungulus bears a 
single seta, and the spiracles are annular. In the more generalized 
forms, such as Anommatus, Murmidius, and the Euxestinae, the head 
is prognathous or somewhat inclined, and the mouthparts are of the 
normal clavicorn type, with a chewing, mola-bearing mandible and 
a short, blunt mala. In the Ceryloninae, however, the head is strongly 
hypognathous or opisthognathous, and the mouthparts form a highly 
modified piercing apparatus, in which both mandible and the mala 
are elongate and blade-like. 
The flat, onisciform larvae of Murmidius ovalis (see Boving and 
Craighead, 1931; Halstead, 1968; Sen Gupta and Crowson, 1973) 
resemble those of the Discolomidae and certain Corylophidae. Dis- 
colomid larvae, however, have only 2-segmented maxillary palps, 
those of the Corylophidae have the labrum and clypeus fused, and 
both lack the characteristic bundles of long, barbed setae along the 
sides of the body. The larvae of Euxestus and Hypodacne bear a 
resemblance to certain Languriidae, especially Cryptophilus , in the 
form of the tergal processes, surface granulation and setation, and in 
the single tarsungular claw, but the latter group may be distinguished 
by the presence of a mandibular prostheca, bicameral spiracles, and 
5 or 6 ocelli on each side of the head. Cerylonine larvae are similar 
in form to some of the smaller Endomychidae, but they are easily 
recognized by the modified piercing mouthparts. 
Because of their small size, most cerylonids are collected by mass 
sampling techniques, and little is known of their food habits or life 
histories. The most frequented habitats for the group are leaf litter 
and rotten wood, especially cambium. Species of Cerylon, Philo- 
thermus, and Mychocerus are usually collected under bark, while 
those of Lapethus appear to be equally common in leaf litter and 
forest debris. A number of species have been recorded from ant nests: 
Hypodacne punctata is known from Camponotus galleries: Aculag- 
nathus mirabilis Oke has been associated with Amblyopone in Aus- 
tralia; and two species of Lapethus have been collected in large 
numbers in the refuse deposits of the leaf-cutting ant Atta mexicana. 
Elytrotetrantus chappuisi (Jeannel and Paulian) is known from a 
mole-rat nest, while Euxestus erithacus Chevrolat was found breeding 
in bat guano in a Jamaican cave. Adults and larvae of certain Neo- 
tropical Philothermus have been taken in polypore fungi, but there 
were never more than a few individuals. Finally,- Murmidius ovalis 
is known to feed on stored products of man. 
Almost nothing has been recorded on the actual type of food 
material taken in by cerylonids. Several gut dissections were made 
