FAM. 52. BOSTRICHIDAE (APATIDAE of some authors).—_Tarsi five-jointed, but the first joint very short and imperfectly separated from the second; front coxae prominent, contiguous, very little extended transversely; five visible ventral segments._ The Bostrichidae attack dry wood, and sometimes in such large numbers that timber is entirely destroyed by them; most of them make cylindrical burrows into the wood. The larvae have the posterior part of the body incurved, and resemble the wood-boring larvae of Anobiidae rather than the predaceous larvae of Cleridae. We follow Leconte and Horn in placing Lyctides as a division of Bostrichidae; although differing very much in appearance, they have similar habits and larvae. The typical Bostrichides are remarkable for their variety of sculpture and for the shapes of the posterior part of the body; this part is more or less conspicuously truncate, and furnished with small prominences. _Dinapate wrightii_, found in the stems of a species of _Yucca_ in the Mojave desert of California, attains a length of nearly two inches; its larva is extremely similar to that of _A. capucina_. Some of the forms (_Phonapate_) stridulate in a manner peculiar to themselves, by rubbing the front leg against some projections at the hind angle of the prothorax. Upwards of 200 species of the family are known. In Britain we have only four small and aberrant forms. [Illustration: Fig. 125—_Apate capucina._ Europe. A, Larva (after Perris); B, perfect Insect.] FAM. 53. PTINIDAE.—_Tarsi five-jointed, first joint not reduced in size, often longer than second; front and middle coxae small, not transversely extended, the former slightly prominent; five visible ventral segments; prosternum very short._ Here are included two sub-families, Ptinides and Anobiides; they are considered as distinct families by many authors, but in the present imperfect state of knowledge[124] it is not necessary to treat them separately. {247}[Illustration: Fig. 126—"Biscuit-weevil." _Anobium paniceum._] [Illustration: Fig. 127.—Early stages of _Anobium paniceum_. A, Eggs, variable in form; B, larva; C, pupa; D, asymmetrical processes terminating body of pupa. [This larva is probably the "book-worm" of librarians].]