SNOUT-BEETLES OR WEEVILS. 127 



longed into a snout. Antennae usually capitate, rarely serrate or fili- 

 form. Larvse mostly fructivorous. Families: Brucbidse, Autbribidce, 

 Brenthidffi, Curculionidoe. 



Tribe 2d (or ITtb). Sbort-borned Wood-borers. Lignivora hrevicornia. 

 Xylophaga, Latreille. Head witbout snout; body sbort and cylindri- 

 cal; anteuna3 clavate or capitate, but little longer than the bead ; larva3 

 ligniv^orous. Family : Scolytidte. 



Tribe 3d (or 18tb). Long-horned Wood-borers. Lignivora longicornia. 

 EuCERATA, Westwood. Body elongated ; antennie long and tapering, 

 usually longer than head and thorax. Larvaj liguivorous. Family : 

 Cerambycidee. 



Tribe 4th (or 19th). Tetramerous Plant-beetles. Herhivora tetramera. 

 Phytophaga, Kirby. Body usually short and rounded; antenn* fili- 

 form or slightly and gradually enlarged toward the end. Larvae herbi- 

 vorous. Family: Chrysomelidte, including the sub-families Criocerides, 

 Galerucides, Eamolpides, Chrysomelides, Cryptocephalides, Hispides 

 and Cassidides. 



Tribe XVI. 



SNOUT-BEETLES, OR WEEVILS. 

 Fructivora rostrata. Ehynchophora, Latreille. 



This tribe of beetles, most of which are comprised in the family of 

 Curculionidaj, is supposed to be the most numerous in species, not only 

 in the class of insects, but in the whole animal kingdom. The only 

 question of the correctness of this estimate would be with respect to 

 some of the families of microscopic animalcula, but here the superiority 

 in number would probably be found to be in individuals only, and not 

 in distinct species. The number of species of Curculionidse, specimens 

 of which actually exist in the collections of Europe and of this country, 

 does not vary much from 20,000. The number of North American spe- 

 cies enumerated in Mr. Crotch's check list of 1873, is 414 ; and this cata- 

 logue undoubtedly falls far short of the whole number, especially of the 

 smaller species. 



The prolongation of the head anteriorly, in the form of a slender 

 snout, generally serves to distinguish the beetles of this tribe from all 

 others. But in a considerable number the snout is so short and broad 

 as not to afibrd a very distinguishing feature. In cases of doubt, there- 

 fore, the student must take other characters into account. The most 

 important of these is the usually rudimental state of palpi, and the four- 

 jointed, cushioned, and bilobed tarsi. The antennte, in the great ma- 

 jority, are knobbed at the end, and geniculate or bent like an elbow near 

 the middle. 



