104 
THE ORDER OF COLEOPTERA. 
Thibe XI. 
SOFT- WINGED PREDACEOUS BEETLES. 
Carnivora mollipennata. Malaoodermi, Latreille. 
The insects of this tribe are distinguished from most other Coleoptera, 
and from all others in the pentamerous section, by their soft bodies and 
their thin and flexible elytra. The antenure are usually more or less 
serrate; the palpi terminate in a widened triangular or hatchet-shaped 
joint; the thorax is usually surrounded with a thin projecting margin ; 
and the fourth-joint of the tarsi is more or less bi-lobed. The term 
Malaoodermi, meaning soft-skinned, given to these insects by Latreille, 
expresses their most remarkable character, and is in general scientific 
use. 
They are exclusively carnivorous in their diet, both in the perfect and 
the larva state, feeding upon small worms, larvae and snails, and are 
therefore one of the agencies for checking the excessive multiplication 
of other insects. 
The larvae are elongated, flattened, usually a little tapering toward 
each end, of a tough or leathery texture, and of a brown or black color, 
and often clothed with short hairs. They are furnished with slender, 
sharp and projecting mandibles, with which they sieze their prey. They 
are sometimes found on trees, but usually on the ground or under the 
bark of dead trees, in search for small wood-eating larvae. A few are 
found in ants’ nests. 
This tribe comprises the three following families : 
A. Body and wing cases flexible ; thorax almost level, with a thin margin all around. 
Antennae not enlarged at the tip. 
B. Autennm inserted upon the front or upon the base of the rostrum; front 
without membraneous suture; 4tli joint of tarsi more or less bi-lobed; 
palpi clavate Lampymdas. 
B B. Antenna; inserted laterally before the eyes; epistoma separated from the front 
by a membraneous suture; tarsi entire; palpi usually filiform. Meuyiudj®. 
A A. Body rather firm; thorax convex, without a sharp margin or with a very nar- 
row one, low down upon the side; antenna; generally widened at the tip; 
palpi clavate Cleiiid/B. 
Family XXXIX. LAMPYRID2E. 
This family contains the well-known lire-liies, or lightning-beetles, and 
the family name, from a Greek word meaning to shine, was intended to 
express this quality. This property is possessed both by the larvae and the 
perfect insects, but only a small number of species are endowed with it. 
Their principal characters have been given in the foregoing table and 
in the general description of the tribe. They are usually medium sized, 
