BCTELIV.fi. 



of the other Pleurostict subfamilies. They most closely resemble 

 those of the MELOLONXHINJE, being, like the latter, rather more 

 slender in their build and less hairy than the DYNASTIN.E and 

 CETONHNjE, with a well-marked attenuation of the body about 

 the middle. The last two segments, though large, are rather 

 less so than in the MISLOLONTHIN^;, and a slight difference in the 

 conformation of the terminal part appears to afford a means of 

 distinguishing the larvae of the two groups, so far as the few 

 known forms enable us to judge. 



Fig. 7. Adoretus versulus : ft, larva ; b, pupa, ventral side ; 

 c, ditto, dorsal side. 



In the RUTELINJE the last tergite and sternite are of similar 

 shape, and their posterior edges exactly coincide with each other ; 

 whereas in the MELOLONTHINJE the last tergite is a little more 

 produced and attenuated than the corresponding ventral segment, 

 and so is plainly visible when the insect is looked at from beneath. 

 The last ventral segment is studded with stiff erect spines as in 

 the MBIOLOKTHIN.S, and the arrangement of these spines seems 

 to differ according to the species, and to afford an important 

 means of identification, although they do not appear, as a rule, to 

 form the regular longitudinal lines so commonly seen in the 

 MELOLONTHINJS. 



"With the exception of the comparatively small section of the 

 PAKASTASJINI, the BUTELIN^E of the Indian Region may he 

 assumed to be practically all root- feeders in the larval, and leaf- 

 feeders in the adult, stages. The PAKASTASIINI feed, in the larval 

 stage, upon dead and decaying wood (\ve have no information as 

 to the habits of the mature insects), and are of no significance 

 economically ; but the rest must be considered as all injurious to 

 vegetation, and >so, potentially at least, to agriculture. The 

 records of injury done by them to crops in India are not at 

 present numerous, but species of Anomala and Adoretus are 

 known to commit considerable ravages. In the Sandwich Islands, 

 species of these two genera, introduced by accident from other 

 parts of the East, have multiplied enormously and caused great 

 havoc in the sugar-cane plantations. Mr. H. Maxwell Lefroy 

 has described in detail the life-history of Anomala varians 

 ( = A. polita, Bl.), which destroys the roots of ground-nut, rice, 



