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-14- frequent the seashore.
However, a single species, T. pumila Sharp (1880) has been
described from Hawaii from 'muddy sand about high water mark. The constricted basal sternites readily
distinguish this genus.
Myrmecopora Saulcy. Thirty-five species have been reported
in this genus most of which are found near fresh water and a few with ants.
However, the two British species and one Japanese species are found only on
the beach below high water mark or in decaying seaweed. The neck is narrower
than in any other marine genus in this tribe except F alagria. Drusilla Leach. This
genus contains over fifty species most of which are associated with ants. A
single species, D. canaliculata Dillwyn, has been reported from Britain
as being found under decaying seaweed. The widely separated middle coxae
distinguishes it from other marine genera in this tribe.
Pontamalota Casey. Members of this genus are confined to
the seashore of Pacific North America. Five names have been proposed, but
they probably represent only two or three species. Members of this genus have
a rather distinctive appearance which is due in part to the narrowing of the
pronotum at the base and to the alutaceus integuments. As in some other Pacific
coast seashore Coleoptera, the paler forms are at the southern extreme of the
range. In southern California these insects are only occasionally found in
decaying seaweed; but on certain beaches they can be found in numbers running
on the wet sand at night during an outgoing tide in company with Thinusa
and Thinopinus. In central California P. californica Casey is
found commonly in seaweed but is not nocturnal. Specimens average about 3.5
to 4 mm in length. Acticola Cameron. A
single species, A. faulklandica, was described by Cameron from the
Falkland Islands. Cameron said it "would appear to be near Tarphiota
Cas. but differing in the bifid right mandible, simple tongue, short elytra,
etc." It is black with the
appendages paler and 2.75 mm long. Atheta Thomson. An
extremely large and polymorphic genus found in a great variety of habitats. A
very difficult genus to study. The ligula is bifid in the shape of a letter Y
and the first segment of the posterior tarsus is never longer than the next
two combined and usually considerably shorter. We have found records of only
twelve of the hundreds of described species as occurring on the beach, most
of these recorded from decaying seaweed. All of these are from the North
Temperate Zone. Many others will undoubtedly be discovered. Halobrecta Thomson.
Three species, one from Europe, one from Japan and one from Europe,
California and Australia are reported in this genus. This was once considered
a subgenus of Atheta but has been separated because of its 'very prominent
mandibles'. The species are all reported from seaweed. Iotarphia Cameron. This
genus was erected in 1943 for a single species, I. australis Cameron,
from Australia 'of maritime habitat'. It is said to differ from Tarphiota
largely by the emarginate labrum and mentum and by the longer posterior
tarsi. It is largely black with the elytra lemon yellow, the base and |