98 THK entomologist's rkcord. 



Kollar, should be placed in one genus ; but these are extreme forms and 

 occupy remote positions ; still the female of Anechnra metallka, on the one 

 hand, may be easily confused with the females of certain Opisthdcosmia, 

 and there are two forms of AptenjijUia cfijlonica, of which one would be 

 ranged naturally with the typical Fortictda, and the other with typical 

 Aj>terij;iida. 



All these three genera are comparatively large, and their fusion 

 would form a genus too unwieldy for convenience, but, unless some 

 new characters are discovered, a considerable number of species will 

 be in a state of fluctuation as regards their generic position. 



Fortunately, the specific characters are less disconcerting ; dimor- 

 phism, especially in the form of the forceps, is common, and once it is 

 realised that the shape of the forceps, and presence or absence of wings 

 are unstable, the species offer in reality, fewer difficulties than the 

 genera. One of the most variable species is Labidnra riparia, Pall. 

 This is subdivided by de Bormans into six subspecies, but he places 

 next in the genus four other species, which I am convinced will be 

 sooner or later united with it. Under a variety of names, a very 

 considerable range of variation is covered ; in size, they vary from 14 

 to 36 millimetres, in colour from pale yellow, almost white, to deep red 

 and black ; in some the wings are absent, in some slightly developed, 

 in others completely developed ; in some the forceps are toothed, in 

 others they are unarined ; in some the last abdominal segment is armed 

 with sharp tubercles, in others it is smooth. In spite of all this I am 

 of opinion that all these races, varieties, subspecies and aberrations, as 

 they are variously and incorrectly called by difterent authors, must be 

 eventually united into one. 



Another genus offering considerable difficulties is Anisolabis. 

 The leading point in this genus is the colour of the feet and 

 antennte ; in some of the species, especially the commoner ones, 

 the feet may be strongly banded with black on femora and tibia?, or 

 may be entirely pale testaceous ; the antenna? may be ringed with 

 white, or unicolorous. Anuolabu annnlipes, Luc, one of the com- 

 monest and most widely distributed species of the genus, is variable in 

 these points ; as it is a cosmopolitan species occurring, more or less 

 domesticated, in every part of the world, it may be almost taken as a 

 rule, in determining the smaller species of Anisolahisf, '• When in 

 doubt, call it annnlipcs.'" 



As mentioned above, in earwigs, and in Orthoptera generally, colour 

 is notoriously not to be depended upon. In the red and black species 

 of Sparatta and Platjjlahia, the distribution of these two very distinct 

 colours varies very considerably ; in some the head, pronotum, and 

 elytra are shining jet black, and the feet and abdomen bright brick-red, 

 but often by variation, the head, or the pronotum, or elytra, or all 

 three, may appear with the reverse coloration. Very likely the freshness 

 of the specimens may have something to do with this, for specialists 

 have never seen any of these species alive, as they are purely tropical 

 forms, and often, perhaps, the red may turn to black after death. 

 Some authors have based new species on the arrangement of the colours 

 in the genera, many of which have been united by de Bormans, and 

 very likely a further detailed examination of the types will lead to the 

 fusion of several more. 



