NlTIDtJLIDiE. 
295 
Nxtidulid^. 
Antennce with a club of three joints. Tarsi five-jointed, fourth joint 
smallest; abdomen with five free ventral segments. Anterior coxce 
transverse ; elytra often truncate. 
Small beetles, of brown or black colour, finely pubescent above ? 
which have a general resemblance to Staphylinidce as many have the 
Fig. 173.— Larva of amphi- 
CROSSUS PIS-COLOR. 
elytra truncate, leaving the apical half of the abdomen exposed. The 
structural characters above separate them from other beetles and they 
can often be recognised in. the field. 
The known larvae live principally in flowers, feeding, for instance, 
on the anthers, but also in dead animals and in decaying fruits. Car- 
pophilus hemipterus , lives in dried fruits and similar food articles, feed¬ 
ing on this or possibly on moulds or fungi growing on this material. It 
has been reared from larvae found under the sheathing leaves of 
