THE COLEOPTERA FROM A PRACTICAL POINT OF VIEW. 31 



All the leaf-eating'; beetles have filiform or nearly filiform antennae, 

 except the herbivorous Lamellicorns (Butelidw and Melolonthidce.J 



All fungus-eating beetles have the antennae more or less strongly 

 clavate. 



The feet of the Coleoptera are of two principal kinds ; first, si7n]}le 

 feet, in which the joints are slender, and of about the same width 

 throughout, and clothed only with somewhat scattered bristles ; and 

 secondly M-lobed feet, iu which the joints are somewhat widened and de- 

 pressed, with the last joint but one usually a little wider than the others, 

 and divided into two lobes, between which the last joint is inserted, and 

 all of them clothed beneath with densely crowded short stiff hairs, of 

 the same length, so as to resemble a brush ; sometimes also compared 

 to a piece of sponge. 



As a general rule, beetles with simple feet reside upon the ground, or 

 under the bark of dead trees, or in other decomposing matter, and are 

 either carnivorous or rypophagous (filth eating) in their habits ; and 

 those which have bi-lobed and si)ongy feet live upon the foliage of trees 

 and other plants, this structure of the feet seeming to be especially 

 adapted to enabling them to adhere to the surface of leaves ; and ac- 

 cordingly most of these insects are herbivorous. 



But this general statement is subject to important exceptions. Some 

 of the lamellicorn beetles fMelolonthidce, Rutelidce, eic.) have simple feet 

 and yet feed upon the foliage of trees ; but these insects do not run 

 over the leaves, but simply cling to them with their sharp claws, whilst 

 feeding. 



So, also, some carnivorous beetles fTelepJioridce and CoccineUidceJ, 

 which pursue their prey over the foliage of trees, have their feet bi-lobed 

 and spongy. 



It is an interesting circumstance that those insects (Melolonthidoe, etc.j 

 which only cling to the foliage by their claws, do not breed upon the 

 trees, but pass their larval period under ground, subsisting upon roots 

 or other subterranean matters, and only visit the trees for the sake of 

 feeding ; whereas the true Phytophaga, with spongy feet {Chrysomelidce 

 and their allies) live upon the plants upon which they feed, through all 

 the active stages of their existence. 



It is also a curious coincidence that the insects first mentioned, which 

 only visit the trees occasionally for the purpose of feeding, do so only 

 by night; whilst the genuine Phytophaga (plant eaters) are diurnal in 

 their habits. 



There is another partial but important exception to the rule above 

 laid down, as respects the males of many carnivorous beetles, which 

 have some of the joints of their anterior feet much widened and brushed 

 underneath j but here the last joint but one is not bi-lobed, and the brush 



