SAW-HORNED WOOD BEETLES. 
93 
2d Tribe. Aberrant wood-beetles. Xylotrogi partly, Latreille. Body 
short, with the head bent under the thorax, or elongate, with the head 
tree. Antennae various. Families : PtinidaB, Lymexylonidae, Rhipice- 
ridse and Cupesidae. 
3d Tribe. Soft-winged predaceous beetles. Malacodekjii, Latreille. 
Head free, but often partly or wholly covered by the thin anterior mar- 
gin of the thorax. Antennae serrate or filiform. Body more or less 
elongated, and depressed, soft, and with flexible elytra. Anterior coxae 
conical and prominent, with large trochantins.* Families : Lampyridae, 
Telephoridae, Melyridae, Cleridae, Dascyllidae. 
TmiiB IX. 
SAW-HORNED WOOD BEETLES. 
Lignivora serricornia. Stkrnoxi, Latreille. 
The term Sternoxi, meaning sharp-breasted , given to these insects by 
Latreille, refers to their most distinctive character, namely, the exten- 
sion of the pro-sternuin or front breast-plate, backwards in the form of 
a sharp point, which is received into a corresponding notch or cavity in 
the meso-sternum. The sternum is also much advanced in front, and 
the fore legs are set remarkably far back from its anterior edge. The 
anterior coxtc or hip-pieces are almost globular, but not prominent. 
The antenna) are rather short, sometimes distinctly serrate, and some- 
times simply filiform. The legs are short and capable of being con- 
tracted closely upon the body. They are of an oblong form, and usually 
of a very hard consistency. The larvae will be described under their 
respective families. They are vegetable feeders, and are generally found 
in wood in a state of partial decay. The two first families are numerous 
in species, but the Cebrionidae are few and rare, and no species has 
been found in the Northern States. 
They comprise the three following families : 
A. Body very firm ; prosternal point elongated; abdomen with five segments. 
B. Prosternal point immovable; antenna! finely serrate ; anterior and middle legs 
with trochantins; colors metallic Bupkestimc. 
B B. Prosternal point movable; antenna! often filiform; legs without trochantins; 
colors generally brown or black, and with the surface usually finely pu- 
bescent Elatkiud.® . 
A A. Body moderately firm ; prosternal point short; abdomen with six segments: 
Cebrionidae. 
1 The troohantin is nn additional or supernumerary joint between the coxa- and the thigh, giving 
the hitter the appearance of being composed of two pieces. 
