XXIV INTRODUCTION. 
(58 species) and Mordellistena (75 species); Tomoxia is represented by four species, 
the remaining genera by one each. Two genera are known only as yet from Central 
America—Naucles (Anaspides) and Cothurus (Mordellides) ; the latter is probably 
peculiar to Mexico. To the list of “neglected” families, as regards the exotic species, 
the Mordellide may be added, and it will be noticed that with a few exceptions the 
whole of the Central-American species are described as new. Four genera are common 
to North, Central, and South America, four to North and Central America, and one 
to Central and South America. ‘he peculiar shape of these insects makes them 
exceedingly difficult to examine, and for this reason, and also, perhaps, from the large 
number of exotic species, they have been greatly neglected by authors. 
The family Rhipidophoride includes a few peculiar genera, three of which enter the 
Central-American fauna; one of these, Rhipidophorus (= Myodites, Latr.), is remarkable 
from having the elytra greatly abbreviated, so as to leave the wings almost entirely 
exposed. The total number of species recorded from within our limits is :—Pelecoto- 
moides, four—three new; Emenadia, ten—two new; and Rhipidophorus, seven—six 
new. Pelecotomoides is chiefly confined to Tropical America and Australia; the other 
genera are of more general distribution. These insects are chiefly found upon flowers ; 
some of them are parasitic upon Hymenoptera and Orthoptera. 
The family Meloide is a very extensive one, and most of its species are of large size ; 
it is too well known to require any special comment here. From within the limits of 
Central America 160 species are recorded, belonging to seventeen genera; and thirty- 
eight species are described as new. ‘The subfamily ‘Meloine’ includes ten species, 
four of which.belong to Meloe, this genus extending as far south as Costa Rica. The 
three other genera of this subfamily, Henous, Cysteodemus, and Megetra, represented 
by three, one, and two species respectively, appear to be peculiar to the Southern 
United States and Mexico. The subfamily ‘Cantharine’ includes four groups :—the 
‘Horniides,’ with one genus (Leonia) and one species; the ‘ Horiides,’ with one genus 
(Horia) and two species; the ‘Nemognathides,’ with three genera (Nemognatha, 
Gnathium, and Zonitis), having thirteen, three, and ten species respectively ; and the 
‘Cantharides.” ‘The ‘Cantharides’ are distributed amongst eight genera—Tetraonyz, 
thirteen species; Hupompha, one species; Calospasta, two species; Macrobasis, fifteen 
species; Gnathospusta, one species; Epicauta, forty-nine species; Pyrota, fifteen 
species; and Cantharis twenty-five species. Leonia, Gnathium, Tetraonyx, Eupompha, 
Calospasta, Macrobasis, and Gnathospasta are exclusively American. Numerous North- 
