86 COLLEMBpLA OF MINNESOTA 



capture. Apparently social in their habits. I have taken them 

 but seldom, but where found, under a stone or board in a moist 

 situation, they were in considerable numbers. The number of 

 ocelli in this species would seem to place it near Reuter's genus 

 Calistella, but, inasmuch as this is the only essential point of 

 difference from others of the short bodied Lepidocyrtus, and as 

 it is probable that the Calistella is rather a reduced Seira-like 

 form with its more rangy body and long antennae, I believe this 

 species should be retained in the genus Lepidocyrtus. Isotoma 

 has a species with but four ocelli, and another in which ocelli 

 are entirely lacking ; Sminthurus has a species which is eyeless ; 

 why not then regard the present genus as embracing species in 

 which the partial reduction of eyes has taken place. I believe that 

 this must ultimately lead to the reabsorption of the eyeless spe- 

 cies of Lepidocyrtus which are now referred to the separate genus 

 Cyphodeirus Nicolet. We certainly have precedent for uniting 

 two or more genera in one when species are found which prove 

 to be their connecting links. 



Lepidocyrtus sexoculatus n. sp. 

 PI. VII, Fig. 13. 



Entirely white, excepting the eye spots, which are four in 

 number, and are black. The two anterior eye spots each con- 

 tain two ocelli, situated in a line. transverse to the head, the, pos- 

 terior eye spots each contain a single ocellus. The body is well 

 covered with scales, which seem to give sometimes a yellowish 

 tint. The mesothorax projects less than in any other species I have 

 seen. Head large, antennas hairy, not much longer than the head. 

 Ant. IV shorter than II and III together. The legs are long and 

 bear claws of the usual form. The outer claw is slender and has 

 two teeth, the inner one straight and lanceolate. There is a 

 single tenent hair. The manubrium and dentes are about equal 

 in length, and the mucrones is essentially like that figured for 

 L. albicans. Length, I mm. 



It is rare, and is found chiefly under bark and stones, where 

 I have taken it with L. lo-oculatus, Cyphodeirus albinus, Isot- 

 oma fimetaria and other such white forms. It much resembles 

 L. lo-oculatus, but is rather larger and lacks the blue color 



