THE FREE-LIVING THVSANURA OF BARKUDA 



ISLAND. 



By Cedric Dover, F.E.S. 



Only four free-living species of Thysanura have been collected 

 on the island ; Japyx indicus is found among decaying vegetation 

 and under fallen branches at the base of fig-trees in the jungle, 

 an Acrotelsa and a Machilid are common both in the house and 

 among dried water -weeds on the shore of Barkuda, while Ctenole- 

 pisma is also probably common in the bungalow though onlj r . two 

 specimens have been collected. These fish-insects are all common 

 species, but as little is known of the distribution of even the 

 commonest Thysanurans, it is hoped that this note will have 

 some value. 



Several termitophilous and myrmecophilous species also occur ; 

 these are now being worked out by Professor Silvestri of Portici. 



Family Japygidae. 

 Japyx indicus Oudm. 



Barkuda, several examples, i5-22 - viri6 (Gravely). 



Silvestri in a report on the Thysanura in the Indian Museum ' 

 records specimens of this species from Peradeniya in Ceylon. We 

 also have specimens from Misty Hollow, 2200 feet, on the western 

 side of the Dawna Hills (Gravely, 22-30 , xi , il), from Farm Caves 

 near Moulmein 2 (Gravely, I7'xi-4*xiiii), Lower Burma; and 

 from the pass between Chaibassa and Chakradharpur in Chota 

 Nagpur. Lefroy 3 records a species of Japyx found among decay- 

 ing vegetation and soil from Pusa in Bihar and Nagpur, and says 

 that it is probably common throughout the plains. Judging from 

 his figure and brief description, and the fact that Dr. Gravely has 

 taken specimens near Nagpur I think that Lefroy's species is prob- 

 ably Japyx indicus. It would seem that this is the common 

 Japygid of the Indian plains and that it will eventually be found 

 throughout Peninsular India, Burma, and Ceylon. These inter- 

 esting insects by reason of their small size, larva-like shape and 

 peculiar habits do not generally attract the attention of the 

 ordinary collector and this seems to be the reason why little is 

 known about them. 



1 Rec- Ind. Mas. IX, p. 52, fig. 1 (1913). 



* Cf. Annandale nnd Gravely, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. (n.s.) IX, p. 405 



(•9*3)- 



• 1 Indian Insect Life, p. 44, fig. 2 (Calcutta : 1909). 



