. Coleoptera. Beetles. 384 NATURAL HrSTORY OF absent. While most nf these beetles live upon earrion, attaekincj by preference decay- ing; animal matter, a few liave mixed habits and attack decomposing and even living vegetation, while some are l;nown, when pressed by hniiger, to eat living insects, not sparing their own species. Leptinus testaceus has been found in Normandy by Mi-. A. Fauvel in the nests of mice, where it is supposed to feed on fungi. Mr. M. (-iirard has descriljed an eyeless species, Scotocri/ptus indiponn, from the nests of bees (Melipona scutellaris) in Brazil.
. Coleoptera. Beetles. 384 NATURAL HrSTORY OF absent. While most nf these beetles live upon earrion, attaekincj by preference decay- ing; animal matter, a few liave mixed habits and attack decomposing and even living vegetation, while some are l;nown, when pressed by hniiger, to eat living insects, not sparing their own species. Leptinus testaceus has been found in Normandy by Mi-. A. Fauvel in the nests of mice, where it is supposed to feed on fungi. Mr. M. (-iirard has descriljed an eyeless species, Scotocri/ptus indiponn, from the nests of bees (Melipona scutellaris) in Brazil. Other eyeless forms (species of Leptoderus), together with others (A(Mops) that have very small eyes, inhabit caves. In Ariinimelus lebioides, from Japan, there is ;in ocellus behind each compound eye. Some species of C'alops in- ],,iiiit ants' nests. Siiecies of Necrop/wriis stridulate. Many kinds tits subtcrraneus. ^ ^ ^ *' of !Sil]ihid^ emit nauseous fluids, and their odor remains disagree- able after years of drying in the collection. Tlie species of this family, even in tiie lai'val state, are very sensitive to odoi's, and are guided by their olfactory organs to tlieir food. The larva' of Siljihichi? have legs, fdur-jointed antenn;e, strong bidentate mandi- bles, three-jointed maxillary and two-jointed libial ]ial]ii, and generally a two-jointed appendage each side of the anus. The ocelli vary in number, there being none in Adelopis and Anisotoma, two pairs in A</(it/iidiiim, and pairs in Silpha and most other genera. The larvre generally inhabit flu- same jilaces and devour the same food as do the imagos. Among some of the smaller species, which have the posterior coxffi simple and the anterior coxal cavities closed behind, those of Aidstoma and Agathidium live in fungi. Adelopiti^ :i wonl which signifies inciiiis|iicuous-eyed, is the name of a genus of beetles which have been erroneously .said to Ije eyeless. The species have slender ant
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcollectionbiodiversity, booksubjectbeetles, bookyear1884
