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XVI. Further notes on Dyscritina, Westw. By E. ERNEST 
GREEN, F.E.S. With an Appendix on the species 
of Dyscritina reared by Mr. Green. By MALCOLM 
Burr, F.ZS., F.E.S. 
[Read March 16th, 1898. ] 
Puates XVIII. anp XIX. 
On March 18th, 1896, I had the honour of reading at 
a meeting of this Society, a few notes on Dyscritina 
longisetosa, Westw., in which I drew attention to the 
similarity of structure in this genus to that of the 
Forficulidz. During the discussion that followed, it was 
suggested by several members that Westwood’s insect was 
immature, and that the adult form would be winged. 
Upon my return to Ceylon in January, 1897, I set 
myself the task of tracing out the life-history of this 
interesting insect. I am now able to report that I have 
-been so far successful that, with the exception of the 
actual change from the egg to the young larva, I have 
followed the transformations of Dyscritina to its final 
stage, and witnessed the pairing of the adult imsects and 
the subsequent oviposition. 
I may here say that the above-mentioned surmises 
have proved to be correct, and that the adult Dyscritina 
is provided with ample wings and caudal forceps in both 
sexes, the general appearance of the imago being that of 
a typical earwig. One character that distinguishes 
Dyscritina from most other Forficulidz is the presence in 
the imago of a well-developed pad (pulvillus) between the 
claws (Fig. 14), which enables the insect to run with ease 
over a glass surface. 
Examples of the insect are not uncommon in this 
district (Pundaluoya). I have as yet had no opportunity 
of searching for it in other parts of Ceylon. 
The usual habitat of the larva is beneath loose stones 
on the surface of the ground. I have occasionally found 
specimens under moss upon rocks, and under loose bark 
of trees. In fact it frequents much the same situations 
as do the common earwigs. One curious difference of 
TRANS. ENT. SOC, LOND. 1898.—PARTIV. (DEC.) 26 
