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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
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