80 Psyche [June 



precision and little loss of time. This is easily the most remarkable 

 modification that anthophily has induced among the Coleoptera; 

 and the origin of a tongue, adapted for sucking nectar, varying 

 greatly in length in the different species, in these two genera, 

 presents a problem difficult of explanation. 



There remain for consideration several small families, as the 

 CEdemeridse, Mordellidse and xlnthicidse, which to a great extent in 

 the adult stage live on flower food; but they do not in any other 

 sense represent the culmination of anthophily among the Cole- 

 optera. The prevalence of anthophily in these families is to be 

 attributed to the comparatively few species, their small size, and 

 the ease with which they can obtain food and shelter in densely 

 clustered small flowers. They exhibit very obscure if any modifi- 

 cation of the mouthparts for procuring nectar. The wedge-shaped 

 Mordellidae are very common, and Frost found the compound 

 cymes of Viburnum loaded with species of Mordella and Anaspis; 

 they may also be found on the inflorescence of Cornus, Prunus, 

 and Spiraea and on the pollen flowers of the wild rose. The New 

 England list contains 12 species, while Knuth records 12 species 

 for Europe and 15 for North America. Only one species of the 

 (Edemeridse {Asclera ruficollis) has been observed on flowers in 

 New England. 



Flowers Visited by the Anthophilous Coleoptera. 



While many of the more important flowers visited by the antho- 

 philous Coleoptera have been mentioned in the preceding pages 

 a brief recapitulation of their mutual relations in New England is 

 desirable. The largest number of species of beetles have been 

 collected on the following genera and species of plants : Viburnum, 

 81; Cornus, 38; Spiroea salicifolia, 42; Amelanchier canadensis, 31; 

 Prunus virginiana, 43; Pynis arhidifolia, 10; Ceanothns americanus, 

 13; Aralia hispida, 9; and Solidago, 30 species. All these flow^ers 

 have the nectar fully exposed, or only sHghtly concealed, as in 

 Solidago which has a floral tube 1 mm. long, or a little longer in »S. 

 lanceolata, and are of small size, densely clustered and very com- 

 mon. The phenomenal number of beetles taken on Viburnum may 

 be partially explained by the great abundance of the flowers, the 

 form of the cymes and the time of anthesis. In a warmer climate 

 the anthophilous Coleoptera would doubtless show a large increase, 



