86 



left undisturbed, as they are one of our most efficient aids in destroy- 

 ing plant-lice. 



A SYNOPTICAL TABLE OF THE FAMILIES OF COLEOPTERA CONTAINING 



INJURIOUS SPECIES. 



A. Fine joints in all the tarsi. 



a. Antennae slender and filiform, usually finely serrate, sometimes with the terminal joints sei 



rate; never clubbed, lamellate or pectinate. 



b. Presternum prolonged to a point behind which is received in the meso-sternum ; body tiru: 



and tapering behind ; legs short and slender. 



e. Prosternal point immovable ; antenna? finely serrate ; anteriorand middle legs with trochanters ; 

 colors metalic Buprestid,*:. 



ec. Prosternal point movable ; antennae finely serrate or simply filiform ; legs without trochant- 

 ers ; colors generally brown or black ; the surface usually finely pubescent. 



Elaterid.*,. 



bb. Presternum not prolonged behind ; legs more or less elongated ; body moderately firm : anten- 

 na; filiform, or the three outer joints elongated, or serrate ; body not tapering posteriorly, 

 size small rTiNiD.*:.* 



aa. Antennae enlarged at the extremity, either pectinate, lamellate or clavate ; never filiform 



throughout. 

 (I. Club of the antenna; pectinate; mandibles large, usually strongly toothed or even branched : 



size large or medium LUCANID^E. 



<ld. Club of the antenna; lamellate; tip of the abdomen exposed, size various, but never very 

 small. 



e. Claws of the tarsi split or divided: color usually uniformly brown, sometimes covered with 



whitish hairs or scales ; rows of abdominal spiracles nearly parallel MELOLONTHIDJE 



ee. Claws of the tarsi not split or divided ; rows of abdominal spiracles strongly divergent poster- 

 iorly, colors usually bright, and often variegated. 



f. Tarsal claws unequal, one being stouter than the other on the same foot ; anterior coxae trans 



verse, and usually depressed ; back convex Rutkliu.k. 



ft". Tarsal claws equal ; anterior coxa? prominent and conical; back more or less flattened, not 



regularly convex Cetoniid.e. 



ddd. Antenna; clavate or clubbed at the top, but never pectinate or lamellate ; size small. 



g. Body much depressed ; antenna' terminating with an ovate club formed of the last three joints ; 



tip of the abdomen exposed Nitidi'lidjE. 



gg. Body more or less convex ; antenme clavate ; elytra covering the whole abdomen ; head in- 

 serted in the thorax DermestidvE. 



A A. Anterior and middle tarsi five jointed, posterior tarsi four jointed. 



h. Head as wide as the thorax, and attached to it by a neck ; antenna 1 filiform ; tarsal claws deep- 

 ly cleft ; body rather soft and elytra flexible MeloiDjE. 



lib. Head narrower than the thorax, and usually partly inserted in it: liody firm and elytra 

 ridged; antenme gradually enlarged toward the tip, with the joints'more or less bead- 

 like, or moniliform color black or dark brown TenebrionidjK. 



AAA. All the tarsi four jointed. 



i. Head more or less prolonged into a snout. 



j. Labrum and palpi present and distinct ; antenna- serrate and somewhat enlarged toward the 

 tip ; snout quite short and thick ; eyes notched Bruchid.e. 



jj. Labrum and palpi obsolete ; antennae clubbed at the top, and usually elbowed ; snout distinct 

 and more or less elongate Curculionida:. 



ii. Head not prolonged into a snout. 



k. Antenna? clubbed at the top ; body short, thick, and nearly cylindrical : thorax (prothorax) 

 very large as compared with the rest of the body ; head deeply inserted in the tneorax. 



Scolytida:. 



kk. Antenna? filiform or setaceous, or slightly enlarged toward the top ; tarsi always dilated and 

 brush-like beneath, with the next to the last joint usually bilobed. 



I. Form elongated ; antenna? long, often very long, and usually setaceous or lessening toward the 



top ; size and colors various ; larvae usuallly wood, stem or twig-borers. ..CEBAMBYCIDJB. 



II. Form short and more or less oval, antenna' filiform or slightly thickened toward the tip, and 



short or of but moderate length ; size generally small ; colors various, larva 1 herbivorous, 

 feeding chiefly on the leaves of vegetables and herbs Chrysomki.id*:. 



Ab this table is intended to include only the injurious species of 

 Ooleoptera found in Illinois the characters of the families are limited 

 so as to include the injurious species only and not so as to embrace 

 all species belonging to those families which contain chiefly parasitic 

 or non injurious species. 



