586 THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



three species. These are heteromerous beetles, which can 

 be easily recognized by the characters given in the table of 

 families. 



The family MORDELLID.E (Mor-del'li-clae 1 ) includes a large 

 number of small beetles, which are easily recognized by 

 their peculiar form (Fig. 715). The body is arched, 

 the head being bent down ; and the abdomen is 

 FIG. 715. usually prolonged into a slender point. Our most 

 common species are black ; but many are variegated, and 

 all are pubescent. The adults are usually found on flowers ; 

 the larvae live in rotten wood and in the pith of various 

 plants, upon which they are supposed to feed. 



The family ANTHICID.E (An-thic'i-dae) includes beetles of 

 moderate or minute size. The head is strongly constricted 

 behind the eyes, and the neck is slender; the prothorax is 

 narrower than the wing-covers at base. Many of the beetles 

 live on flowers and leaves ; but some are found near the 

 margin of water. Our most common species belong to the 

 genus Notoxns (No-tox'us), in which the prothorax is pro- 

 longed over the head into a horn. 



The family PYROCHROID/E (Pyr-o-chro'i-dae) includes a 

 small number of beetles, which are from one 

 third to three fourths of an inch in length. The 



TJ 



body is elongate ; the head and prothorax are 

 narrower than the wing-covers ; the antennae are 

 serrate or subpectinate in the females and usually 

 flabellate in the males (Fig. 716). The beetles FIG. 7 i6.' 

 are found about decaying trees, beneath the bark of which 

 the larvae live. 



Family MELOID^: (Me-lo'i-dae). 



T/ie Blister-hectics. 

 The blister-beetles are of medium or lar^e size. The 



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body is comparatively soft ; the head is broad, vertical, and 

 abruptly narrowed into a neck ; the prothorax is narrower 



