30 HOW INSECTS ARE CLASSIFIED 
There are many families, in practically all of which are to be found 
species of importance. A few of the typical families are the following: 
Carabidae, the ground beetles. Active insects both as larve and as 
adults, and usually predaceous. 
Silphide, the carrion beetles. Larve and adults feed on decaying 
animal matter. 
Coccinellide, the lady beetles. Both larve and adults predaceous. 
One of the most beneficial families. 
Elaterids, the click beetles. Parents of the wireworms. 
Buprestide, the adults of the ‘‘ flat-headed borers.” 
Scarabeide. Large beetles, well illustrated in the “ June bug.” 
The larve of some feed on decaying animal or vegetable matter, while 
others are highly injurious. 
Cerambycida, the parents of the “‘ round-headed borers.” 
Chrysomelide. Typical leaf eaters. Examples are the potato beetle, 
asparagus beetle, and many others. 
Meloide, the blister beetles. 
Curculionide, the curculios. Snout beetles. The larve legless 
grubs. 
Siphonaptera 
The Siphonaptera in- 
clude the fleas. The order 
is a small one, but is in- 
teresting because of the 
adaptations that it exhibits 
for parasitic or predaceous 
existence. 
Metamorphosis is com- 
plete. From the egg 
hatches a legless larva, slen- 
der and wormlike, which 
later transforms to a pupa, 
and from this in turn 
emerges the adult, ready to 
Fic. 29.— Adult flea. Enlarged. Original. begin the life round again. 
