10 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



= Metapleura widened (Tetramera). Never more than five ventrals. 

 (Platy pleura). 



Series Phytophaga. 



Series Rhynchophora. 



The conclusion which may be drawn from this synopsis is that the 

 Tetramera are the equivalent of all other beetles taken together. Those 

 who follow LeConte's views would place the Rhynchophora apart from 

 all others; then the division would be into Tetramera and Pentamera, the 

 last including the Heteromera and Trimera. 



A GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE KNOWN LARVAL FOOD- 

 HABITS OF THE ACALYPTRATE MUSCIM). 



BY C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND, LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO. 



In a short paper published in the Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci., Vol. XIII., 

 on the occurrence, in a single restricted locality in Arizona, of a species 

 of Micropeza, I gave a very brief resume' of the food-habits of some of 

 the better known families of Acalyptrate <,Muscidae, with the view of 

 suggesting the possible habit of the species there considered. This 

 prompted me later to bring together all available notes on the subject. 

 As these small flies are of much economic importance, both as being 

 injurious and beneficial, I have felt that a quite complete summary of their 

 larval food-habits would be of much use to the working entomologist, 

 besides being of no little importance to those who may be making a 

 special study of the diptera. I should acknowledge drawing a consider- 

 able number of the notes from Schiner, AVestwood and other European 

 authors. All such refer to European species, but often apply equally as 

 well to American species, when such exist in the genera named. All are 

 of importance as indicating the great range and variety of the food-habits 

 in this section of the Muscidae The only families of whose larval habits 

 nothing seems to be known are the Micropezidce, Phycodromidce, Opomy- 

 zidce, Leiopsidce, Astcidcr, and Gcomyzidce. 



According to their habits, the larva? of the Acalyptrate may be grouped 

 in three categories : Scavengers, phytophagic species, and entomophagic 

 or parasitic species. These groups may be separated into sub-groups, as 

 will be seen from the accompanying synoptic view : 



