194 



1XTEODUCTIOX. 



About 800 to 1000 species are contained in this family, 

 which are, i'or the most part, tropical; in the temperate 

 zones they are rare. Several of the species with long antennae 

 closely resemble Longicorns of the family Lamiid^e, Very 

 little is known of their life-history, but they frequent old 



wood, old hedges, and boleti. In 

 some species the larvae have legs, in 

 others they are wanting-, w hile 

 occasionally (e. g. Choragus) they 

 are represented by three pairs of 

 tubercles or pseudopods. This being 

 the case, it is impossible to divide 

 the Eiiyxchophora on the characters 

 of the larva?, as has been suggested. 

 The species are often very prettily 

 variegated in shades of black, brown, 

 grey, and white. 



A considerable number of the 

 known genera and species occur in 

 the Indian fauna ; of these the genus 

 Tropideres appears to have the widest 

 Fig. 90.— Xenocerus anchoralis. range, being found in Europe, North 



and South America, South Africa, 

 and also in Ceylon. The members of the Indian genus Afceocerus, 

 like the European Choragus, have the power of leaping more or 

 less strongly developed. 



The greater part of the species of which the habits are known 

 live in dry branches or twigs, or in large seeds of various plants, 

 and in these undergo their metamorphoses ; the larvae of Brachy- 

 tarsus, however, appear to feed on Coccid.e (Scale-insects) ; they 

 are almost the only species of Khyxchopiiora which are known 

 to be carnivorous in any stage of their existence. 



Family 96. CURCULIONID.E. 



Rostrum variable, but, except very rarely, distinct, and as a rale 

 much pronounced; palpi very small, short, concealed and rigid 

 {except in the Ehy^chitinjs and Nemojtychln^e, in which they are 

 more or less flexible and exserted) ; labrum absent (except in the 

 NemonychijS m, in which it is visible, but minute). Antennae for the 

 most part geniculate. 



At present this is a vast and hopeless complex containing some 

 20,000 to 30,000 species. As a rule the members of the family 

 are easily distinguished by the pronounced rostrum and geniculate 

 antennas, but exceptions occur, and very rarely (e. g., in such 

 Australian genera as Amycterus, Psalidura, Acantholophus, etc.) 



