171 
Family SILPHID^l. ’ 
Catalogue of the Iusecta of the Oriental Region , No, 8. Order Coleoptera, 
Family Silphidjs.— By E. T. Atkinson, B. A. 
The Silphidce have the body depressed, the head more or less depressed 
aud often posteriorly narrowed into a neck j mandibles exserted, strong ; 
thorax orbicular or nearly so, forming a shield to the head, tarsi 5-jointed. 
They are known as scavenger beetles, and live on decomposing animal 
matter or fungi. They have been divided into the following sub-families 
by Leconte &. Horn 1 * * * : — 
Posterior coxse simple. 
Anterior coxte more or less tranverse at the base and with trochantin. 
Anterior coxal cavities open behind. 
Posterior coxse contiguous. Silphin\ 
Posterior coxse distant. 
Anterior coxse prominent : five ventral segments. Lyrosomini. 
Anterior coxse not prominent : six ventral segments. Pinodytini. 
Anterior coxal cavities closed behind. Anislomini. 
Anterior coxse cyliudro-conical, without trochantin, the cavities closed 
behind, often widely. Cholevini. 
Posterior coxse laminate. 
Anterior coxse with trochantin, the cavities closed behind. Clambini. 
Dr. Reitter has also given a classification of the family, but it has not 
been generally received. 8 
The Silphini, Cholevini, aud Clambini are alone represented in our 
Fauua, aud but few species have, as yet, been described from the Oriental 
Region. 
Family SILPHIDiE. 
Leach, Edinb. Encycl. , 1815 : Westwood, Mod. Class. Ins., i, 1839, p. 135 : ( Silphales) 
Lacordaire, Gen. Col., ii, 1854, p, 192 : Jacq. Duval, Gen. Col. Ear., i, p. 101 : 
Mun. Cat., p. 716 : Leconte & Horn, Class. Col., p. 77 : Matthews, Biol. Ceutr. 
Amer., Col., ii (i), 1887, p. 72. 
1 Class. Col. N. America, Smithson. Misc. Coll., 1883, p. 78. 
* Bestimmungs tabellen, in Verb. Ver. Biiinn, xxiii, 1885, p. 3 ; id., Wien Eat. 
Zeit., v, 1886, p. 313, 347 ; Deutsche Ent. Zeits., xxx, 1886, p, 219 ; sea 
Fauvel, and Seidlitz, Deutsche Ent. Zeits., xxxi, 1887, p. 81. 
