384 
COLEOPTEEA. 
in all parts of the tropical and temperate regions. In India, the plains 
fauna is rich in species, though more are to be found in the submontane 
forest and jungle areas. The family as it occurs in India is being 
described in the Fauna of India by G. A. K. Marshall. 
The classification of the Curculionidce is too vast to be entered 
into here. One has but to glance at the vast array of groups, divi¬ 
sions, legions, cohorts, tribes, etc., into which the family has been 
divided to realise its complexity. A complete revision of the family in 
the light of new knowledge will have to be done when the monographs 
on the regional faunae are more complete. As in other complex groups 
of Coleoptera, there seems to be no immediate prospect of any thorough 
revision owing to the complexity of the family and its vast number 
of species. About 1,500 Indian species are probably already described 
or recorded, but an equal number at least will probably be added now 
and new forms are found constantly. 
Brachyderince.—Blosyrus asellus , Oliv., is a grey weevil, with 
thickset abdomen and elytra, found commonly feeding on leaves from 
August to December. Astycus lateralis , F., is the common green weevil 
of the plains of India, found feeding in abundance upon cultivated plants. 
A. chrysochloris , Wied., is the larger metallic green species common in 
Assam. Tanymecus indicus , Fst., is one of the many weevils which 
are so abundant on soil and eat young plants. It is extremely 
common in the Gangetic plain and appears regularly twice in the year 
at the commencement of the kharif and rabi seasons. Tanymecus 
circumdatus, Wied., is common on plants, a delicate green form with 
longitudinal stripes, and T. chloroleucus j, Wied., is also abundant, uni¬ 
formly clothed in almost white scales. The genus is a very large one. 
with many species in the plains. Their larvae will probably be found 
in the roots or underground stems of plants. Atmetonychus peregrinus, 
Oliv., is also found, a grey much roughened weevil found on young 
plants (Plate XXVII, fig. 10). 
Otiorhynchince.—Episomus lacerta, F., is a comparatively large grey 
weevil that has been found in numbers on cotton plants, feeding on 
the bark (Plate XXVII, fig. 6). 
