T4 COLLEMBOLA OF MINNESOTA 



ing yellow exceptions: Abd. I, II and VI, dorsal part of III, some 

 elongate dorsal spots on the front part of IV, and the ventral 

 part and two dorso-lateral spots on V. Markings vary some- 

 what in degree according to age, but not in position. The dark 

 parts are less dark on younger than on older specimens. Legs 

 with trochanter, femur and tibia light yellow, basal segment 

 brown or yellowish. Antennae at least four-fifths the length of 

 the body ; Ant. I light yellow, excepting the dark ring at its 

 base. II and III brownish yellow with narrow, dark rings at 

 their proximal ends, and purplish tinting at distal ends, IV a 

 dirty purplish gray, considerably longer than II, which exceeds 

 III almost as much as the latter exceeds I. The superior claw 

 bears three inner teeth, the inferior claw is unarmed and lance- 

 olate. Mncrones tridenticulate, being provided, as usual in the 

 genus, with a slender basal, and a stout middle and distal tooth. 

 Length, 3 mm. 



The species agrees with E. orcheselloides Schott, and also 

 with E. dorsalis Uzel in many ways, such as the great compar- 

 ative length of Abd. IV, which is about seven times as long as 

 III ; in the greater length of the antennae, etc. ; and even agrees 

 to some extent with the latter in coloration. It must be noted, 

 however, that while the legs of E. bicolor are yellow, the femurs 

 and tibiae of E. dorsalis are dark-ringed, although in general 

 Uzel's species is the lighter of the two. Again, the antennae 

 of E. dorsalis are entirely yellow, while those of E. bicolor 

 show dark markings. The mucrones, too, seems to differ, for 

 Uzel says of it "Mucronibus duobus dentibus aequalibus in- 

 structis. Nulla spina sub dente inferiore." 



The species is not very common, yet seems to be pretty 

 well distributed. Taken principally in spring and autumn, under 

 boards lying loosely upon the grass. It usually remains per- 

 fectly quiet until disturbed, relying upon its protective color- 

 ation, probably, to shield it from observation. I have found 

 them in considerable numbers, both old and young, in April, 

 on a damp paper which was partly submerged in a snow pool, 

 in a vacant lot here in Minneapolis. 



