SUBFAMILY III. FORFICULIN.E. 57 



the earwig was finally found to be between the bases of the leaves 

 and steins of the arrow-leaf, and especially those of the saw-grass, 

 Clad iuin effusion (Sw.), the latter plant being the one which al- 

 most exclusively covers thousands of acres of the Everglade Re- 

 gion south and soutlnvest of Lake Okeechobee. Once located, the 

 earwigs were found to be very abundant, 93 being taken in fifteen 

 minutes by cutting off the clumps of grass just below the surface 

 of the ground and shaking them over a rubber cloth. This inci- 

 dent is but evidence of the fact that almost any insect supposed 

 to be rare is in reality plentiful enough once its favorite habitat 

 or hiding place is discovered. The localities above given are the 

 only ones at present known from which this handsome earwig has 

 been taken. It will doubtless be found in southern Florida over 

 much of the area covered by the saw-grass. 



II. FORFICULA Linnaeus, 1758, 423. (L., "scissors.") 



Antennae in our species 14 15-jointed, the fourth joint obcon- 

 ical, half the length of third, 714 cylindrical, more than four 

 times as long as broad ; pronoturn almost square, the hind angles 

 rounded; wings slightly surpassing tegmina; abdomen not ex- 

 panded at middle, the third and fourth dorsal segments with lat- 

 eral folds; first tarsal joint slightly longer than third; second 

 short, dilated and lobed at apex, passing beneath the third. One 

 widely distributed species occurs with us. 



12. FORFICULA AUBICULARIA Linnaeus, 1758, 423. Common European 

 Earwig. 



Dark reddish-brown; basal joints of antennas, sides of pronotum, 

 hind margins of abdominal segments, forceps and legs paler; tegmina and 

 wings dull yellow. Tegmina one-half longer than pronotum. Forceps of 

 male about as long as abdomen, their legs flattened and broadened at 

 base, then usually curved almost into a semi-circle, armed on the inner side 

 at base with a large quadrate crenulate tooth, and another at beginning 

 of curve; legs of female forceps slightly curved, crenulate on inner margin 

 and crossing at tips. Length of body, 10 12; of tegmina, 2; of forceps. 

 $ , 47, 9 , 3 mm. 



While adventive examples of this cosmopolitan species have 

 been recorded a number of times from the eastern United States, 

 it did not become established as a resident member of our fauna 

 until about 1912, when a colony appeared at Newport, Rhode Is- 

 land, which was first reported by Glaser (Psyche, XXI, 1914, 

 157). This has increased so rapidly in numbers and threatens to 

 become such a pest that a special bulletin 16 treating of it has been 



16 D. W. Jones, Bull. 566, U. S. Dep. Agr., June 18, 1917. 



