MORDELLIDAE. 40t 



lobes; palpi 4-jointed, rather long, with the last joint secu- 

 riform or cultrifonn, sometimes transverse. 



Head vertical, applied closely to the thorax, suddenly 

 constricted immediately behind the eyes, connected with the 

 prothorax by a very small neck; eyes small and coarsely 

 granulated in the first tribe, large and finely granulated in 

 the second; labrum prominent; mandibles short, entire at 

 tip, with an internal membranous margiti. 



Antenme inserted at the sides of the front, before the eyes, 

 11-jointed, slender, usually slightly thickened externally. 



Prothorax strongly narrowed in front, as wide at base as 

 the elytra ; lateral suture quite obvious ; coxal cavities large, 

 open behind, confluent. 



Mesosternum short, carinated, pointed behind, side pieces 

 attaining the coxal cavities, which are not confluent; meta- 

 sternum large, but not long, side pieces variable in width. 



Elytra narrowed behind, not truncate, leaving exposed the 

 tip of the abdomen ; epipleurge not distinct. 



Abdomen with five or six ventral segments ; the last dorsal 

 and sixth ventral are prolonged in the second tribe, forming 

 an anal style. 



Legs, anterior short, posterior usually long; anterior coxas 

 large, conical, contiguous, without trochantin; middle coxie 

 not prominent, slightly separated ; liind cox^e flat, contigu- 

 ous, moderate in size in the first, very large in the second 

 tribe; tibial spurs large, hind tibiaa frequently dilated; hind 

 tarsi compressed, long; claws simple in the first, cleft to the 

 base, with the upper portion pectinate, in the second tribe. 



Two tribes are thus separated: — 



Abdomen not prolonged at tip ; claws not cleft. Anaspini. 



Abdomen prolonged at tip; claws cleft and pectinate. Mokdellini. 



Insects of small size, found on plants; all are pubescent; many 

 are very prettily variegated in color. 



Tribe I.— ANASPINI. 



Body rather fusiform than cuneate; hind coxae not very large, 

 tibiae slender; claws neith(!r cleft nor serrate; last dorsal seg- 

 ment of the abdomen not prolonged, sixth ventral not visil)le in 

 Anaspis, but visible in the other two genera; eyes oval, narrowly 

 eniarginated, coarsely granulated; antennae inserted very near the 

 eyes, not serrate; upper surface of the body transversely strigate. 



