TTTE Oil, AND BLISTER J5EETKKS. 1351 



Meloida- have the antennas 11- jointed, inserted at the sides of the 

 front, before the eyes; elytra variable in form, but when short never 

 truncate; abdomen with six free ventral segments; front and middle 

 coxa? large, conical, contiguous, the front cavities widely open be- 

 hind; next to last joint of tarsi cylindrical, except in Tetraonyx. 



About 200 species of Meloidae are known from North America, 

 the great majority of them being from the Western and South- 

 western States. These are treated in the following papers: 



LeCoiitc. "Synopsis of the Meloides of the United States," in 



Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., VI, 1853, 328-350. 

 LeConte. "Synopses of the genera Pyroia and Potnphopcea," 



in New Sp. N. Am. Col., I, 1866, 159-161. 

 Horn. "Revision of the species of several genera of Meloida' 



of the United States," in Proc. Ainer. Phil. Soc,, XIII, 1873, 



88-117. Gives synopses of Macrobasis, Epicauta, F<npJi<>- 



posa and Gantharis. 

 Horn. "Synoptic tables of Zonitcs and Galospashi," in Trans. 



Amer. Ent. Soc,. V, 1875, 155 ; VII, 1878, 60. 

 LeContc. "Synoptic table of Ncmof/nallta," in Trans. Amer. 



Ent. Soc., VIII, 1880, 212-215. 

 ^Horn. "Studies among the Meloida?, " /// Trans. Amer. Ent. 



Soc., XII. 1885, 107-116. Gives synopses and descriptions 



of Macrcsbaxis. Pi/rota and Tetraonyx. 

 Horn. "Revision of Calospasta," in Proc, Amer. Phil. Soc,, 



XXIX, 1891, 99-102. 

 Wickham, II. F. "The Meloida? of Ontario and Quebec," in 



Can. Ent., XXVIII, 1896, 31-35. 

 Fa]], H. C. "Notes on Cantharis, with Synoptic Table," in 



Trans. Amer. Ent, Soc., XXVII, 1001, 293-304. 



The North American species of the family may lie divided 

 among two subfamilies, both of which are represented in the State. 



KEY TO SUBFAMILIES OF MELOIDA. 



ii. Side pieces of meso- and inetathorax covered by the elytra : intiexed 

 portion of elytra very wide; inner wings absent; elytra (in our 

 species) short and overlapping the suture and leaving most of the 

 abdomen exposed; body large, clumsy. 



Subfamily I. MELOIX.K, p. K'.r.U. 



<KI. Side pieces of meso- and inetathorax visible; inflexed portion of elytra 

 narrow; wings usually present; elytra long, almost or quite covering 

 the abdomen (except in Kitarini). not overlapping at suture. 



Subfamily II. CANTHARIN.E, p. i:;.~i.".. 



