TITE OIL AND BLISTER BEETLES. 



i35i 



Meloidro have the antennae 11-jointed, inserted at the sides of the 

 front, before the eyes; elytra variable in form, but when short never 

 truncate; abdomen with six free ventral segments ; front and middle 

 coxce large, conical, contiguous, the front cavities widely open be- 

 hind; next to last joint of tarsi cylindrical, except in Tetraonyx. 



About 200 species of Meloidae are known from North America, 

 the great majority of them being from the Western and South- 

 western States. These are treated in the following papers : 



LeConte.—' ' Synopsis of the Meloides of the United States," in 



Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., VI, 1853, 328-350. 

 LeConU.—" Synopses of the genera Pyroia and Pomphopwa," 



in New Sp, N. Am. Col, T, 1866, 159-161. 

 Horn.— 'Revision of the species of several genera of Meloidae 

 of the United States," in Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, XIII, 1873, 

 88-117. Gives synopses of Macrobasis, Epicauta, Pompho- 

 pcea and Cantharis. 

 Horn.-^-" Synoptic tables of Zonites and Calospasta," in Trans. 



Amer. Ent. Soc, V, 1875, 155; VII, 1878, 60. 

 ZeCtmU.—' 'Synoptic table of Nemognaiha," in Trans. Amer. 



Ent. Soc, VIII, 1880, 212-215. 

 Horn,—' 'Studies among the Meloidae," in Trans. Amer. Ent. 

 Soc, XII, 1885, 107-116. Gives synopses and descriptions 

 of Macrobasis, Pyroia and Tetraonyx, 

 Hem.—" Revision of Calospasta," in Proc, Amer. Phil. Soc, 



XXIX, 1891, 99-102. 

 Wickham, II. F. — "The Meloidae of Ontario and Quebec," in 



Can. Ent, XXVIII, 1896, 31-35. 

 Fa U H 'Notes on Cantharis, with Synoptic Table," in 



Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, XXVII, 1901, 293-301. 

 The North American species of the family may be divided 

 among two subfamilies, both of which are represented in the State. 



KEY TO SUBFAMILIES OF MELOIDiE. 



a Side pieces of meso- and metathorax covered by the elytra ; inflexed 

 portion of elytra very wide; inner wings absent; elytra (m our 

 species) short and overlapping the suture and leaving most ot the 



abdomen exposed; body large, clumsy. 



Subfamily I. Meloin.e. p. 1352. 



aa Side pieces of meso- and metathorax visible; inflexed portion of elytra 

 narrow; wings usually present; elytra long, almost or quite covering 

 the abdomen (except in marini), not overlapping at suture. 



Subfamily II. Canthaein.e. p. 1353. 



