Introduction 7 



Meloidea. This new siaperfamily includes Meloidse, divided into 

 three subfamilies (after erecting a new family Tetraonycidse), and 

 Ehipiphoridfe. "Probably the Strepsiptera are to be classified 

 in the Coleoptera and close to the Ehipiphoridte," is added in a 

 footnote. 



Mordelloidea. This series, which was proposed by us with great 

 hesitation, is reduced to the family Mordellidfp, and to its main 

 genera Tomoxia, Mordella, and Mordellistena. Even these in the 

 larval stage are related to several of the melandryid genera. 



Cerambycoidea. This series is restricted by its larval characters 

 to the family Cerambycidse, divided into subfamilies Prioninse, Cer- 

 ambycinae, Aseminae, Lepturina^, Lamiinse and Uisteniinae. The 

 Chrysomelidse are regarded as a superfamily. 



Bostrichoidea. This series, comprising Ptinidse, Anobiida?, Bos- 

 trichid<T, Psoida?, and Lyctidae, differs from the existing classifica- 

 tion only by the removal of the families Ciidse and Sphindidse. 



Chrysomeloidea. Larval studies indicate the necessity of separat- 

 ing the Bruchidae and Chrysomelidse, as a superfamily, and of divid- 

 ing the latter into many families. Some have heretofore been recog- 

 nized as subfamilies, others are the result of recent studies, and 

 many are again subdivided; it is even stated that "when better 

 studied, the classification of the entire family Galerucida^ will un- 

 questionably be changed. ' ' The families indicated by larval studies 

 are Bruchidae, Sagridae; Orsodacnidae, Donaciidae, Camptosomatidae, 

 Eumolpidae, Crioceridae, Chrysomelida\ Galerucida? (divided into 

 Galerucinae, Diabrotieinae, and Halticinre), Hispidae, and Cassididfe. 



Platystomoidea. In the division of the Ehynchophora by larval 

 characters the family Platystomidae becomes a superfamily divided 

 into two subfamilies Brachytarsinae and Choraginae. 



Curculionoidea. The remainder of the Ehynchophora are divided 

 into Brentida>, Proterhinida>, Attelabida^, Apionida?, Curculionidae 

 (with Lissorhoptrina^ as a subfamily), Calendridae, Platypodida^, and 

 Scolytida^. In regard to the latter it is stated that "the larvrn of the 

 Curculionidae and Scolytida' cannot be separated." Belidae larvae are 

 unknown. 



Finally the conspectus by Dr. Boving ends with the superfamily 

 Lymexyloidea for Lymexylidie and Telegeusidae, the larva of the 

 latter being unknowTi. As far as known the larva of this superfamily 

 approaches in important characters those of Oedemeridae and 

 Calopida^, "but also greatly resembles the larval form of the ancient 

 suborder Archostemata. " "The systematic position of this series 

 is uncertain." 



As a final summary of this important contribution to the classi- 

 fication of the Coleoptera we note with satisfaction that, in its main 



