. Coleoptera : general introduction and Cicindelidae and Paussidae. t notelbowed or geniculate ; lab rum not connate ivith the clypeus, mobile;mentum emarginate, the emargination being fllled with the ligula ;mandibles the same in both sexes, not strongly developed ; intermediatecoxce almost globular ; elytra entirely covering the abdomen. So far as the imagines are concerned, this is an exceedinglyuninteresting family, consisting of some livehundred species of singularly uniform appear-ance, being large, more or less shiny, depressed,elongate-oblong insects, with the elytra markedwith (as a r
. Coleoptera : general introduction and Cicindelidae and Paussidae. t notelbowed or geniculate ; lab rum not connate ivith the clypeus, mobile;mentum emarginate, the emargination being fllled with the ligula ;mandibles the same in both sexes, not strongly developed ; intermediatecoxce almost globular ; elytra entirely covering the abdomen. So far as the imagines are concerned, this is an exceedinglyuninteresting family, consisting of some livehundred species of singularly uniform appear-ance, being large, more or less shiny, depressed,elongate-oblong insects, with the elytra markedwith (as a rule ten) strong longitudinal sulcior furrows ; a few species are more or lesscylindrical. The family is not represented inEurope, and one species only, Passalus cor-nutus, F., is found in America north ofMexico ; it is, however, not uncommon inthe tropical regions of both the Old and theNew Worlds. The genera are well repre-Fig. 92. sented in the Indian region, although coiu- Tassalus darjeelivgi paratively few species appear to have been(natural size). 20 6 ] i TROnUCTlOX. The larvae of the Passalidjs appear to be very remarkableboth as regards their structure and their life-history. Theyare more slender than the larvae of the Lucanidje, and have thesurface of the segments smoother, the head also being muchsmaller. The chief peculiarity, however, lies in the legs. Thefirst and second pairs are comparatively long, but the posteriorpair is rudimentary, consisting of a very short coxa and a tro-chanter about six times as long as this. The latter is modifiedas a plectrum, which is arranged so as to strike or scratch aistridulating area on the coxae of the second pair of legs ; occa-sionally it is furnished with claws or digits, but more often it issimple. These larvae differ also_from those of the Lucajstidje in the forma-tion of the anal opening, which is transverse, with the upper lipslongitudinally split; in this they approach certain of the Asa matter
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbeetles, bookyear1912
