200 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. xxviii, 



CUPEDID/E. 

 Adephaga. Polyphaga. 



Wing venation of the first type Sternites and pleurae of the second 



(Gahan, 26, p. 124). A suture on abdominal segment completely fused 

 each side of the prothorax between with the third (Gahan, 26, p. 247). 

 the notum and pleurae (Gahan, 26, p. Habits of the larvae. Larvje eruci- 

 166). form, widely departing from the cam- 



podeiform type. Larvae with legs of 

 five segments — tarsi with a single 

 claw (Snyder, 2-j'). 



Shall we, therefore, in view of these characters, consider the 

 Cupedidre — 



1. As a modified famil}- of the Adephaga, as Gangll^auer and Gahan 



contend ? 



2. As a distinct subdivision of the Polyphaga, nearly approaching the 



Adephaga as Kolbe considered them, or 



3. As holding a position between the Adephaga and the Polyphaga, 



having important characters of each of these suborders and 

 indicating a more direct descent from the original Coleopteron? 

 The wing venation would seem to indicate that this might be 

 true. 



The writers are more inclined to agree with Kolbe (20) in plac- 

 ing this family in the Polyphaga, for if we are correct in believing 

 that only beetles having the campodeiform type of larva should be 

 placed in the Adephaga, then the Cupedidse are widely different, not- 

 withstanding the wing venation and the suture on each side of the 

 prothorax between the notum and pleurae. 



To be; sure, Dr. Boving's discovery of an exception to the six- 

 segmented leg of the Adephaga in the Paussidae would tend to show 

 that the Cupedidae might not be excluded from that group by that 

 reason alone. 



If the Coleoptera are really to be arranged with regard to the 

 true phylogeny of groups much and exhaustive study will have to be 

 made on the ontogeny of the species. This knowledge at present is 

 so manifestly inadequate in most families that a grouping in accord- 

 ance with true racial relationships is usually impossible. Notwith- 

 standing, it is the .only permanent basis and the one which should be 

 kept constantly in mind. Therefore, until our information on the 



