TETRAMEROUS PLANT-BEETLES. 169 



[Fig. 82.] or last segment of the alxlomen is 



/^'>^ ^^vAx <r\ /'"X bent vertically downwards, and left 

 ^^^i^^^Tft ^t^^' \y 9 .V uncovered by the elytra, furnishing 

 , >a^"^^^^^ __ ^^^^^ an easily distinguishable character 



MC J "/J^J^ ^^^j^'^iXv J "^liich is common to nearly all the 

 Af f \ '^J^^^ V^- ^^K/ species, except those specified in the 

 ^A}=t^^^ J^^ dKK /TTi^' followingsynopsis, and which is found 

 /[f/^\'^ ^^^ '''^/A \ jt\ in none of the other sub-families. The 

 ^"y^^*^ ^Sre / S^4ik. ^-utennsB are rather distant at their in- 



C08ciN0PTERAD0MrMCANA:-o, larva eTtracteasertion, sometiuics short and serrate, 



from caHe ; ft, tlo. with case; c, beetle .slmwiiit; , , . ,, • 'f nf lin f V.r>lf' oa 



puucturas : d, same natural size : e, esf; culart;o<l; out \\\ tUe majOriCJ ai lea.SI/ nail aS 



{v^SMiw^'otsi"\!t^s^„aS"^^ the body, and very slender 



L'fir KiiVv.^ *• •''''' °^ "'™' ■ '• "'"'''"" "' """'" and filiform. The third joint of the 

 tarsi is always deeply bilobed. They are all small insects, rarely 

 attaining a quarter of an inch in length. All the larvae, we believe, so 

 far as known, live upon the surface of leaves, and have the curious 

 habit of enclosing themselves in compact cases, composed of their own 

 excrement, which they mould into shape by means of their mandibles. 

 The same habit of economizing the particles of excrement is practiced 

 by many of the small caterpillars belonging to the lepidopterous family 

 of Tineidae. The larvae carry their cases about with them, by protru- 

 ding the anterior part of their bodies through the open extremity. 

 AVhen about to transform they attach their cases to the twigs, and close 

 the opening, thus making them answer the purpose of a cocoon. 



A. Antenna; sen-ate or sub-davate, and shorter th.an the head and thorax. 



B. Body elon^iate ; abdomen wholly covered by elytra ; antenu;e serrate ANOMCKA. 



B B. Body short, oval or subcylindric ; tip of abdomen exposed. 

 C. Body short, thick and tuberculous; autennie small, sub-clavat© and aub-serrate; lega closely 



contractile Chlamyb. 



C C. Body not tuberculoaa ; antennae free ; legs not contractile. 

 D. Tip of abdomen scarcely exposed ; elytra smooth and shining, finely punctured; antennae 



sub-serrate Babia. 



D D. Tip of abdomen fully exposed j elytra coarsely punctured or pubescent. 



E. Antennie sub-serrate ; elytra densely punctured Saxxms. 



E E. Antennue serrate ; elytra in-egularly punctured and pubescent ; mandibles large: 



CoacixorTKRA. 

 A A. Antenna? slender and filiform, and longer than the head and thorax Cryptockphalus. 



The genus Anomcea, Lacord., has for its type the common A. laticlavia^ 

 Forster, from a quarter to a third of an inch in length, and of a day- 

 yellow color, with the suture and margin of the elytra black. The gene- 

 ric name means dissimilar, in allusion to the departure of the species 

 from the ordinary characters of the subfamily, but their place here is 

 determined by the serrate antenmv, and more especially by the case- 

 bearing habit of their larvae. Another si)ecies very ditterently colored 

 is found in Texas. The species of Chlamys, Knocli, are of a dark brown 

 color, and when their limbs are contracted they resemble little lough 

 balls of inanimate matter. The most common species is the C. plicatUj 

 —22 



