34 Introduction 



COCCINELLOIDEA 



It is with the hope that Verhoeff is partly right in claiming a special 

 place for tliis family that I have separated them. The phytophagous- 

 like larva of Hyperaspis as described by Boving/ the extraordinary 

 larvse of the other genera, seem to justify this course, as well as the 

 adult characters. Handlirsch (p. 1277) suggests their having become 

 separated from Clavicornia at a very early period. 



TENEBRIONOIDEA 



This series restricted to Cistelidae, Monommidae, Lagriidse, Tene- 

 brionidse and part of the Melandryidse, seems fairly consistent, all 

 having the margins of the ventral segments semi-membranous. Like 

 the Clavicornia, the differences in the larvse seem to indicate more than 

 one origin if their descent could be completely traced. The position here 

 assigned to Tenebrionoidea is relatively high among the series as the 

 result of adopting Sharp and Muir's \'iews as to the significance of the 

 characters they found in the genitalia. If the differences between the 

 genitaUa of Mordelloidea and Tenebrionoidea should prove to be only 

 progressive modifications of a single type, as is possible, the position of 

 Tenebrionoidea might be altered, to follow that of Mordelloidea, Cepha- 

 loidae and Oedemeridse forming a connecting link. Larval resemblances 

 when worked out, may determine this point. 



LAMELLICORNIA or SCARAB.S:OIDEA 



Have been discussed above. Handlirsch is singularly silent as to 

 the rank of this series, possibly from cUsagreement with Ganglbauer. 

 Troginse may probably require elevation to family rank, as indicated in 

 conspectus on page 38. 



PHYTOPHAGA or CERAMBYCOIDEA 



Here there seems to have been a modification of the palpi from 

 an enlarged last joint to a partial atrophy, quite the reverse of that 

 observed in pre\-ious series and possibly the result of their plant-eating 



' A Generic Synopsis of Coccinellid Larvse, etc. (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. LI, 1917, pp. (521-650). 



