10 ProceefUngs of the Eoyal Irish Academy. 



FamHy LEPISMIDAE. 



This family is fairly well represented in the fauna of the Seychelles, as 

 shown by the collection now described, and there can be no doubt that further 

 species await disco veiy. Students of the Lepismidae owe much to Escherich, 

 whose beautiful monograph ('04) stands as a foimdation for modern systematic 

 work. He divides the family into three sub-families : — 



A. luner edge of maxillaiy laeinia with teeth and bristles. Head 



never longer than prothorax. 



a. Sub-coxae of genital segments broad and flat, covering 

 bases of gonapophyses. Eyes present. Terminal seg- 

 ment of maxillaiy palp without sensory papillae. 

 Body always scaled, ..... Lcpisminae. 

 h. Sub-coxae of genital segments narrow, not eoA"ering bases 

 of gonapophyses. Eyes wanting. Terminal segment of 

 maxillary palp with conspicuous sensory papillae. Body 

 scaled or unsealed, ..... Nicoletiinae. 



B. Inner edge of maxillary laeinia smooth. Head longer than pro- 



thorax. Eyes present. Body unsealed, . . . Maindroniinae. 



Tlie fii-st and second of these sub-families are represented in the 

 Seychelles ; the last is kuo%vn to include only a single species from Ai-abia. 

 It is noteworthy that all the Seychelles Lepismidae belong to well-known and 

 widespiead genera, in contiust to the Machilidae, which are represented in 

 the ai-ehipelago by a distinct and peculiar genus. 



m 



Lepismisae. 



The Lepisminae in the collection are distributed among four genera — 

 Lepisma, Isolepisma, Ctenolepisma, and Acrotelsa, which are thus distin- 

 guished : — 



A. Bristles on head aud body-segments simple. Tenth abdominal 



tergite rounded, truncate, or emai'ginate. 



a. Biistles on face and terga arranged singly, not in 



"combs," ....... Lepisma. 



h. Bristles on face and tei-ga arranged in " combs," Isolepisma. 



B. Bristles feathered. 



c. Tenth abdominal tei^ite long and acutely pointed, 



Acrotdsa. 



d. Tenth abJoniiual tergite truncate or emarginate, 



Ctenolepisma 



