{229}FAM. 24. SCAPHIDIIDAE.—_Front coxae small, conical; prothorax very closely applied to the after-body; hind coxae transverse, widely separated: abdomen with six or seven visible ventral plates; antennae at the extremity with about five joints that become gradually broader. Tarsi five-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 extreme 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 agaricinum_ by Perris;[111] 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. [Illustration: Fig. 108—_Scaphisoma agaricinum._ Britain. A Larva (after Perris); B perfect Insect.] FAM. 25. SYNTELIIDAE.—_Antennae clavicorn, with very large club: labium, with hypoglottis and the parts beyond it, exposed. Front coxae transverse. Abdomen with five visible ventral segments, and eight or nine dorsal, the basal four of which are semi-corneous._ This family includes only five species; its classification has given rise to much difference of opinion. We have, after consideration of all its characters, established it as a distinct family[112] 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 Coleoptera, it has a very wide distribution; _Syntelia_ being found in Eastern Asia and Mexico, while the sub-family Sphaeritides occurs, as a single species, in Europe and North America. The earlier instars are unknown. [Illustration: Fig. 109—_Syntelia westwoodi._ Mexico. (From _Biol. Centr. Amer._)] {230}[Illustration: Fig. 110—_Platysoma depressum._ Europe. A, Larva (after Schiödte); B, perfect Insect.]