157 



Found in Central Illinois and perhaps in other portions of the State. 

 The larvae bore into the elm, undermining the bark, often causing 

 great injury to these trees when planted out for shade groves. 



Family CHRYS0MEL1D/E. (True Plant Beetles.) 



This family, in the extended sense adopted by Dr. LeBaron in his 

 fourth report, contains a number of small species, most of which are 

 more or less injurious to vegetation, feeding, as a general rule, both 

 in the larval and perfect state, on the foliage. 



They may be distinguished from ether Tetramerous species by the 

 following characters, which are in good part negative. The front of 

 the head is not prolonged into a snout ; the antennae, instead of being 

 long and tapering, as in the long-horned beetles, are always shorter 

 than the bodv and usually less than half its length, and are of the same 

 size throughout or slightly enlarged toward the tip. The body is 

 broadly oblong, oval or round, sometimes. almost hemispherical, the 

 length seldom twice the greatest width. 



The larva are short, thick grubs, usually enlarged in the middle, 

 arched, generally soft, and often gaily colored, and beset with thick 

 flattened tubercles or branching spines; six well developed _ true or 

 thoracic feet and sometimes a broad pro-leg at hind extremity. As 

 a general rule the eggs are deposited on the -plants on which they 

 feed, being attached by one extremity to the leaves or stems. 



Some of these species undergo their transformation to the pupa 

 and perfect state attached to the leaves and stems of the plants on 

 which they feed, whilst others descend into the ground. 



This estensive family has been sub-divided into several sub-families 

 bv characters which are not sufficiently well marked for use in this 

 report Yet, for the benefit of those who desire to know something 

 of these sub-divisions, I give a short analytical table of the sub-families 

 based on that given by Dr. Le Baron but modified so as to accord with 

 Westwood's arrangement, which I prefer. 



A Body elongated; thorax not margined at the rides; head slightly constricted behind the 

 " eyes; eves prominent; thighs usually more or less thickened. 

 B. Body much elongated; first ventral segment very long; larvae live in to*^ 



BB P Xdv"mod'er'ateiy'elongal'ed otners ' 



larvae live on the leaves of plants, sometimes cover themselves with excrement- ^^ 



ttndv more or less rounded (except Hispinae) ; thorax almost always margined ; head 



^otconririctedreyes not prominent; thighs not swollen, (except in Haltica and its 



sub-genera.) . 



C Antennae distinct, being wider apart at the base than the length of the first joint. 



D. Body oval ; abdomen wholly covered by elytra ; larvae live ex P° sed c ° I n R \ e s a v J ^7" INAE . 



DD. Bodv usually short and sub-cylindrical; tip of abdomen vertical and unc overed ; 



larvae live on leaves, in portable cases cryptoceihalina*., 



C C Antennae approximate, being rarely wider apart than the length of the first joint. 

 E Antennae filiform and at least half as long as the body ; hind thighs, in one divis- 

 io^enhirged^r jumping ; larvae live on leaves or between ^eirlamnae-^^ 



E E. Antennae less than half as long as the body, and more or less thickened toward 

 the tip. „ , 



F. Head exposed; form oblong and usually sub-quadrate ; surface usually wrongly 



Pitted or reticulated ; larvae live between the Eaminae of leaves HISPINAE. 



F F. Head concealed under the thorax ; form hemispherical; surface asu ^ y J™"™ 1 ij 

 larvae live on leaves, covered by excrement oassidu>a*,. 



A A. 



