VARIATION IN THE DERMAPTERA. 217 



antennae have what is termed a pale ring, either near the base or near 

 the apex ; in other words, in dark antennfe, some segments are pale 

 but it is far from constant which particular segments are the pale ones ; 

 a slightly different coloration of the two basal segments is very frequent ; 

 generally it is two or three segments short of the apical ones that are 

 pale, but the inconstancy of the particular segment is seen in Anisolahls 

 <innnlipes, Luc. 



The coloration of the legs is also very inconstant ; in a single 

 species we may find specimens with pale legs, with dark legs, or with 

 pale legs variously ringed, banded, or spotted with dark ; this too, is 

 well seen in Anisolabis annidipes, Luc. 



It is very usual for the elytra to present in one species every 

 gradation from uniform dark to distinct and well-marked alternate 

 dark and pale bands ; the banding first shows itself in a small spot 

 near the shoulder ; gradually the spot lengthens until it occupies 

 almost the whole of the disc, leaving a narrow stripe of the ground 

 colour on each side ; this is well seen in Prulabia nij/rella, Dubr., in 

 which the elytra are black in the typical form, have a relatively large 

 ■pale shoulder spot in the form fascia ta, Borm., or a broad band in the 

 form ))ujr)iieca, Burr. 



The small Neotropical species of Labia and Spomjnvosto.i- often 

 present every gradation from all black to strongly banded elytra. It 

 is especially noticeable in AlloHtethella donae. 



In many species it is common to find the elytra either unicolorous, 

 or with a pale or red spot : we see this in Echinoso)iia ivahlbtrfii, 

 Ancistrogaster mixta, and others. There is an extreme case in the 

 spotted Neotropical species of Psalis, where we have a regular transition 

 in size and brachypterism, as well as in colour, through P. pulchra, P. 

 /estiva, P. amerivana, and P. (fat/atina : as a rule there is a large bright 

 orange discoidal spot ; sometimes this occupies the whole of the disc, 

 sometimes it is quite small, and in some cases it is shaded over with 

 fuscous brown to such an extent that it is almost entirely obscured. 



In the PaUearctic Anechura bi punctata, this variation has a 

 geographical value; in the truly European form occurring commonly in 

 the Alps, the general colour is dark, with a reddish spot on the elytra; as 

 we trace the species eastwards through its range into Asia, the colour 

 becomes paler and brighter, the spot finally occupying almost the whole 

 of the elytra, with a narrow black margin in the Himalayo-Tibetan form 

 A. zubovskii, Sem. The intermediate forms are A. bipnnctata var. 

 orientalis, Kr., and A. asiatica, Sem. 



In the Pipjidicfaninae, the varied patterns of the elytra, wings and 

 pronotum are often very inconstant in detail, though fairly stable in 

 general disposition ; we may for instance find the pronotum almost en- 

 tirely buff, or with a faint black mark, or a pair of black bands, or a 

 black V, or an irregular black star ; this is noticeable in Kalocrania 

 daeiiidi, Dohrn. 



In Echinosouia snmatraiunn we find specimens ranging from a light 

 brown to nearly black, some with labrum blackish, some with labrum 

 buft"; some with yellow pronotum, some with black ; some with plain 

 black elytra, some with red-spotted elytra; some with black- ringed 

 femora, some with plain tawny femora. 



One of the worst offenders is the universal Labidiira riparia, as we 

 should expect from its immense range. The typical Palfeartic form is 



