DescriiHive Catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa. 169 
instead of remaining enclosed in the cell, the contents of which it has 
emptied, buries itself into the ground to a depth of 3 feet, and, after a 
third moulting, changes there into a pseudo-pupa. This third moulting 
corresponds thus to Eiley's first Scarabseoid stage of the congeneric 
Gaiitharis (Epicautd) of North America, which, however, in the second 
stage forms only a small cavity near the egg-pod from which it has 
derived its nourishment. The young of Cerocoma, a genus not represented 
in Africa, attack the stores of provision brought together by a burrowing 
wasp of the genus Tachytes, and consisting of paralysed young Mantis 
intended by the wasp for its young. 
Nothing is known of the habits of the Mylahrini beyond the fact that 
the triungulins are considerably larger than those of Meloe and Cantharis, 
and that the number of eggs is very much smaller. 
It must not, however, be imagined that those triungulins which ascend 
plants to encounter the carrier that will introduce them into its abode 
show any discrimination as to the identity of their conveyance, because 
they do not, and I have seen some holding on to the rare hairs of dipterous 
flies, and also on flower-frequenting Coleoptera. Their chance of finding 
a home " is thus made greatly uncertain, and the number of successful 
ones is probably very small. But the great fertility of some of the species 
counterbalances this great disadvantage. 
In South Africa examples of Meloe, the most prolific of the Meloidce, 
are undoubtedly rare. On the other hand, Canthariniy Mylahrini, Zoni- 
tini are very numerous in kinds and extremely abundant in individuals. 
One genus, Iselma, is purely endemic ; Z onitomorpha may prove also 
to be so. 
The Family is divided into two Sub-Families, distinguished as 
follows : — 
Metasternum very short, intermediate coxse covering part of the posterior 
ones ; side pieces of meso- and metathorax covered by the epipleurse of 
the elytra ; no scutellum, or scutellum extremely reduced ; no wings . . MELOiNiE. 
Metasternum long, intermediate coxae distant from the posterior ; side 
pieces of meso- and metathorax plainly visible ; scutellum well defined ; 
body nearly always winged Cantharin^. 
Sub-Family MELOIN^. 
This Sub-Family is represented in Africa by the genus Meloe only, which 
numbers in South Africa five species, of a dark blue or blue-black colour, 
making their appearance in the spring or after the first summer rains, 
and met with in dry or sandy spots where the nests of Hymenoptera 
abound. They do not proceed fast, the females especially, owing to the 
extreme development of the abdomen the segments of which are enor- 
