. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. POLYMORPRA SCAPHIDIIDAE—SYNTELIIDAE 229. Fig. 108.—Scaphisoma arjari- cinum. Britain. A Larva {after Perris) ; B perfect Insect. Fam. 24. Scaphidiidae.—Front coxae small, conical; protJiorax very closely apiiliecl to the after-'body ; Mnd coxae transrcrse, widely separated: alidomen with six or seven visible ventred j)lates; antennae at the extremity with aboict Jive joints that become (jraducdly broader. Tarsi Jive-jointed. This family consists of a few beetles that live in fungi, and run with extreme rapidity; they are all small, and usually rare in
. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. POLYMORPRA SCAPHIDIIDAE—SYNTELIIDAE 229. Fig. 108.—Scaphisoma arjari- cinum. Britain. A Larva {after Perris) ; B perfect Insect. Fam. 24. Scaphidiidae.—Front coxae small, conical; protJiorax very closely apiiliecl to the after-'body ; Mnd coxae transrcrse, widely separated: alidomen with six or seven visible ventred j)lates; antennae at the extremity with aboict Jive joints that become (jraducdly broader. Tarsi Jive-jointed. This family consists of a few beetles that live in fungi, and run with extreme rapidity; they are all small, and usually rare in collections. Some of the exotic forms are remarkable for the ex- treme tenuity and fragility of the long antennae, which bear fine hairs. The number of described species does not at present reach 200, but the family is very widely distributed. We have three or four species in Britain. All we know of the larvae is a description of that of Scaphisoma ayaricinum by Perris ;^ it is like the larva of Staphylinidae, there are nine abdominal segments in addition to a very short, broad pseudopod, and very short cerci. This larva feeds on agarics ; it goes through its development in about three weeks; unlike the adult it is not very active. Fam. 25. Synteliidae.—Antennae davicom, with very large club: labimri, luith hypoglottis and the piarts beyond it, ea:posed. Front coxae traiisverse. Abdomen with Jive visible ventred segments, and eight or nine dorscd, the based Jour oj tvhich are semi-corneous. This family includes only five species; its clas- sification has given rise to much difference of opinion. "We have, after consideration of all its characters, estaljlished it as a distinct family ^ allied to Silphidae. The perfect Insects live on the sap running from trees: but nothing else is known of their natural history. Like so many others of the very small families of aberrant Cole- optera, it has a very wide distribution; Fig. \()<).-.^yntdia west- Sijntelia being fou
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1895
