212 



INTRODUCTION. 



neither the GlaphyrijwE nor the OxcerinvE occur in India ; it is, 

 however, worthy of notice that the GtLAPHYRin.e, contrary to all 

 rule, have a spiracle on the pygidium, a character which isolates 

 them from all the other groups. 



Several of the European genera of the Melolonthust^: (e. g. 

 Hoplia, Serica, Melolontha, and MJtizotrogus), as well as others, are 

 represented in the Indian region. 



As a rule the sexual differences in the MELoLOXTHixiE are not 

 very striking ; the lamella) of the club, however, are in soma 

 instances more developed in the males than in the females, and in 

 certain genera the legs are enormously developed in the male. 

 Mr. Arrow, in the table given in his recent work (I. c. p. 22),. 

 includes the Meloloxtiiix^e under the Pleurosticti as follows :— 



Posterior spiracles situated in the dorsal part of the 



chitinous ventral segments Pleurosticti. 



i. Labrum membranous, not exposed. 



1. Mandibles not visible externally ; front coxae 



vertical Cetoniinte. 



2. Mandibles partly visible externally; front 



coxa? transverse Dynastiiwe. 



ii. Labrum chitinous and visible externally. 



Posterior spiracles placed in strongly diverging 



lines ; claws movable, unequal RuTELiNiE. 



Posterior spiracles placed in scarcely diverging 



lines ; claws generally fixed and equal . . Melolonthinje. 



The Eutelix.e vary very much in size and appearance ; the 

 large forms are almost entirely tropical, and are, in many cases, 

 amongst the most conspicuous and beautiful of the Coleoptera ; 

 the smaller forms (Adoretvs, Phyllopertha, etc.) are not very 

 noticeable. They are to a great extent distinguished from the 

 allied subfamilies by having the tarsal claws unequal. This, 

 however, is a somewhat variable character ; in some of the species 

 it is well marked, but in others the difference is not very striking. 



The stridulating organs of the group are very interesting, but 

 at present no Indian Kutelim are known to possess any. 

 Lacordaire and others have commented on the remarkable geo- 

 graphical distribution of the subfamily. All the very conspicuous 

 species appear to occur in America and Australia ; the Anomala 

 group is widely, but unevenly distributed, while Adoretus and its 

 allies are peculiar to Africa, Madagascar and Asia. About a 

 dozen Indian genera have been recorded. The species of Adoretus, 

 of which a very large number occur in the Indian region, are 

 moderate-sized, more or less elongate and depressed insects, of 

 blackish, brown, and yellowish colours, and clothed with fine 

 greyish pubescence. Anomala and its allies, Singhala, Mimela, 

 Popilia, etc., are also well represented in the region. 



The members of the subfamily Dynasten^e are closely allied 

 to the Kuteletsve, from which they are distinguished by the equal 

 claws of the tarsi, and also by having the labrum (which is, almost 

 without exception, visible in the last-mentioned family) concealed 



