INTRODUCTION. 
THE Heteromera include numerous heterogeneous families of Coleoptera, which agree 
inter se in having their tarsi distinctly 5-, 5-, 4-jointed * ; and in the whole of the species 
here enumerated, Mophon tinctipennis, which has 4-jointed anterior tarsi in the male, 
is the single exception to this formula. The only other Coleoptera likely to be 
confounded with the Heteromera are certain members of the Cucujide and Crypto- 
phagide, belonging to the Clavicorn-series, which have the hind tarsi 4-jointed in the 
males and 5-jointed in the females. The Heteromera comprise a greater variety of 
forms than any other of the main divisions of the Coleoptera, nearly all of which are, 
as it were, reproduced here. As examples of this assimilation, the following genera 
are especially noteworthy, viz.:—Statira (Lagriide) to various Carabide (Agra, 
Calleida, &c.) ; Cuphotes (=Spheniscus) to Cypherotylus (Erotylide) ; Doliema (Tene- 
brionide) to various Cucujide; Uroplatopsis (Lagriide) to various Hispide (Uroplata) 
and Lycide ; Calopus (Gidemeridz) to various Longicornia; Othnius to various Cleride ; 
Phrenapates (Tenebrionide) to various Passalide; Hapsida, Nautes, and Gonospa 
to various Chrysomelide ; Diplectrus (Gidemeride) to Chauliognathus (Telephoride) ; 
Sisenes (Ckdemeridee) to various Telephoride; Nilio to various Coccinellide and 
Endomychide ; Zypetes (Tenebrionide) to Apierus (Histeride); Paratenetus (Tene- 
brionide) to various Cryptophagide (Cryptophagus and Corticaria). Probably no 
better cases of so-called ‘mimicry,’ or homochroism, can be found amongst the 
Coleoptera than exists between certain species of Cuphotes and Cypherotylus, and 
between Uroplatopsis (U. mimica) and Uroplata (U. dimidiata). 
Fourteen families altogether are represented in Mexico or Central America, which 
are here dealt with in two volumes: the Tenebrionide, Cistelidz, Othniide, N ilionide, 
and Monommide in the first; the Lagriide, Melandryide, Pythide, Cidemeride, 
Xylophilide, Anthicide, Mordellide, Rhipidophoride, and Meloide in the second 
volume. 
All these families are common to Central and North America, with the exception of 
the Nilionide, a small group peculiar to the forest-region of Tropical America; two of 
* In an aberrant Old-World genus, Heterotarsus, Latr., they are 4-, 4-, 3-jointed. 
