THE EARWIGS OF CEYLON. 317 



above, with a small tubercle on each side at the insertion of the forceps, the 

 hinder margin with two teeth, or rarely unarmed ; the branches of the 

 forceps testaceous, darker towards the apex, remote at the base, slightly 

 curved, upwards towards the apex, and inwards ; the whole inner margin 

 is denticulate, and armed with a large tooth beyond the middle. In the $ 

 the anal segment furnished with two tubercles, the posterior margin smooth, 

 the branches of the forceps are not contiguous, curved gently inwards, 

 unarmed, denticulated all along the inner margin. 



This species varies very considerably in size, colour, and armature of the 

 forceps. 



$ 9 



Length of body 18-19 mm ..„lo-19 mm. 



„ „ forceps 6-11..., 4'5-6 



Forficula riparia, Pallas., 1773., Reisen., II., Anhang 727. 

 Labklara riparia, Dohrn, 1863, Stett, Zeit. XXIV., 313. 

 Scudd., 1876, Ent. Notes, V., 63, 

 Brunner, 1882, Prod., Our. Orth., 5, fig. 1. 

 Borm. 1900, Forf. 33. 

 Forficula gigantea, 1 Fabr. 1793. Ent. Syst. II , 



Fischer, 1853, Orth. Eur,, 65,, tab, L„ fig. 1, la— f. 

 The references to this species in literature are so numerous that I have 

 only given the more important, Brunner and Scudder give the full synonymys. 

 It is a species which varies to such an extent that it has been quoted under 

 very many names, such as paWzpes, dentata,:hilineata, 'maxima, Helens, crenata 

 morbida, hicolor, fischerl, herculeana, etc., and others. 



It is a cosmopolitan species, but probably Palsearctic in origin. Mr. Green 

 has given me a specimen from Ambegammoa, February, 1899, where it was 

 found in a bungalow. Its natural haunts are the banks of rivers, and shingle 

 by the sea-shore, 



Dohrn gives a synopsis of its varieties with their synonymy, and de Bor- 

 mans gives to subspecies, 



LABI DORA BENGALENSIS, Dohrn. 

 Large, reddish. Head dark-red, the eyes black, and antennae paler. The 

 pronotum square, with rounded angles, slightly narrower than the head, 

 black. Elytra broad, well developed, black, with a bright chestnut stripe 

 on each along the suture. Wings projecting well beyond the elytra, pale- 

 testaceous, dark ai the apices on the inner margin. Feet uniform testaceous. 

 Abdomen dark-red, smooth. In the $ it is dilated considerably towards 

 the apex ; the anal segment is very large and smooth, armed with two 

 indistinct tubercles at each side at the base of the branches of the forceps ; 

 in the $ the abdomen is cylindrical, not dilated. Beneath it is pubescent 

 above bare in $, In the ^ the forceps are stout, the branches widely 

 distant at the base, slightly diverging at first, then gradually converging 

 inwards until they almost meet at the apices, armed with a tooth on the 

 16 



