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THE ORDER OF COLEOPTERA. 
Tribe 1st (or 20th). Trimerous fungus-beetles. Trimera fungivora. 
Bolitophaga. 
Body oval or oblong; antennae exposed and often nearly or quite as 
long as the head and thorax; colors red and black, usually combined; 
habits fungivorous. Families: Erotylidae, Endomychidae. 
Tribe 2d (or 21st). Plant-louse eating beetles. Trimera carnivora. 
Aphidiphaga, Latreille. 
Body hemispherical ; antennae very short and usually concealed be- 
neath the margin of the thorax; elytra usually red with black dots, 
sometimes the reverse; feed upon plant-lice. Family: Cocciuellidae. 
Tbibe XX. 
TKIMEROUS FUNGUS-BEETLES. 
Trimera fungivora. Bolitophaga. 
This is a tribe of moderate extent, and is composed of the families 
Erotylidae and Endomychidae. The former were designated by La- 
treille by the name Glavipalpi , on account of the large half-moon shaped 
joint with which the maxillary palpi are usually terminated, and were 
placed by him in the tetramerous section in deference to the tarsal sys- 
tem of classification, inasmuch as four distinct joints are usually pres- 
ent in the tarsi, besides the rudimental penultimate joint. But their 
general resemblauce to the Endomychidae in size, color and habits, as 
well as in several important organic characters, has induced all recent 
systematists to place the two families in the same general division. It 
is a much more ditficult question to decide whether these insects should 
be retained as a distinct tribe near the end of the order, between the 
Chrysomelidae and the Coccinellidae, or be merged in the extensive series 
of club-horned scavengers, or Clavicornes proper, with which they agree 
in tbeir clavate antennae, and also with some of them in their fungivor- 
ous habits. Mr. Westwood, whilst he retains them in the former posi- 
tion, expresses a doubt whether they should not be placed in the necroph- 
agous or scavenger series, as Mr. Stephens previously, and Mr. Thomson 
more recently has done; and Mr. Crotch, in his recent revision of these 
families, expresses the opinion that the Erotylidae should immediately 
follow Cryptophagifhe, and that the Endomychidae should succeed the 
Mycetophagidae. Other authors, whilst leaving the families in general 
undisturbed, have contented themselves with removing from them cer- 
tain genera, which are usually associated with them; Mr. MacLeay, for 
example, haviug removed Languria to the family of Engidse, corres- 
ponding nearly to our two families of Trogositidae and Oucujidae, whilst 
Mr. Stephens has placed Tritoma in the family of Anisotomidae. If the 
number of joints in the tarsi were the only character which distinguishes 
