%\\t €m'M\m\ mntonttiltrjjbt. 



Vol. XXVIII. LONDON, SEPTEMBER, 1896. 



No. 9. 



A HOUSE -INFESTING SPRING - TAIL 



( Lepidocyrttcs a?nericanus, n. sp. j. 



BY C. L. MARLATT, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Fig. 22 — Lepidocyrtus americanus, n. sp. 



a, lateral view of female ; b, foot ; c, tip of spring; d, scale ; c, labrum ; 

 /, mandibles ; g; maxilla; and labium (original). 



In the course of a comprehensive study of insects frequenting dwell- 

 ings, attention was early drawn to a very handsome little Collembolan, 

 which occurs commonly in moist situations in houses in Washington. It 

 may often be found on window-sills, especially if there is unusual moisture 

 from the presence of window plants, or in bathrooms, and, in fact, vvhere- 

 ever moist conditions prevail. This species is a very handsome one, and 

 seems, from reference to the authorities, to be undescribed. From the 

 manner of its holding the head, bent downwards almost at right-angles to 

 the thorax, it would seem to fallinto the genus Lepidocyrtus, erected by 

 Sir John Lubbock. In habit it has in Europe a close ally in Seira 

 dotnestica, Nicolet, which, as its name implies, is a frequenter of houses, 

 and is separated generically from Lepidocyrtus by rather unimportant 

 characters. Before referring to this insect in a popular article, it seems 

 desirable to have a technical description put on record, and the following 

 characterization of the species has therefore been prepared : — 



