178 



INTEODUCTIOX. 



considerable difference in their habits. It has been thought 

 that they lay their eggs on the actual peas, beans, etc., while 

 yet soft, but Biley, who has worked out the life-history of Laria 

 pisi, the " pea-beetle," has ascertained that the young larva of 

 this species mines the pea-pod before it enters one of the peas. 

 Apparently (as proved by Mr. Theodore Wood) the larva has the 

 instinct, or whatever we may call it, to leave the germ untouched, 

 so that the plants sprout ; they are, however, more or less sickly 

 and are almost barren after these attacks. 



The position of the family has long been a subject of discussion 

 and many authors have assigned it to the Bhynchophora, in 

 close proximity to the Axtheibixle. There can, however, be no 

 doubt that its affinities are rather towards the Chrysomelid^;, 

 from which it cannot be separated. A transition towards the 

 Khykchophoea is found in the TTrodoxtid^;, which have been 

 included under the Laeiiile, but evidently belong to the Bhyn- 

 chophorous group, and come close to the AxtheieievE.* 



As a matter of fact the Laeiidje are not very closely allied 

 to any other group, but appear to be most nearly related to 

 the SagrixwE; they are, therefore, best placed at the beginning 

 of the Phytophaga immediately before Sagra (v. Fowler, Col. of 

 British Islands, iv, p. 258). 



This family is called Mylabeidje by some authors, and the name 

 Bettchidje has been substituted for Ptixtdje, and Zonabris for 

 the well-known Mylabris, thus causing considerable confusion, so 

 that it is best (with Ganglbauer and others) to adopt the name 

 Laeild.e for the group, and avoid the term BEUCHiDiE altogether. 



Family 91. CHRYSOMELIME. 



Form variable ; head prominent or inserted in the prothorax as 

 far as the eyes ; antenna? as a ride not at all surrounded by the eyes, 

 variable in length, shape and position of insertion, usually eleven- 

 jointed, filiform, moniliform, serrate or slightly clavate ; coxce 

 variable in shape and pjosition, prothorax with or without lateral 

 margins ; elytra nearly always covering abdomen, but occasionally 

 leaving the pygidium exposed ; abdomen with five segments of varying 

 length ; legs very variable, posterior femora very strongly thickened 

 in some group>s, and often dentate beneath ; tarsi, as before described, 

 pseudotetr anurous. 



This is one of the largest families of the Coleoptera, and 

 contains about 20,000 known species ; it is very largely repre- 

 sented in India, and the late Mr. Jacoby had, before his death, 



* Lameere (irm. Soc. Ent. Belg. xlir (ix), 1900, p. 377) separates the 

 Antiiribid.e from the Rhynchophora and regards them as a subfamily of the 

 Brtjchid.e, which with the Cerambycid.e, Chrysomelid.e, and CuRCULiONiDiE 

 are classed by him under the Phytophaga. 



