The European Lepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 (Collembola: Entomobryidae)
Genus Lepidocyrtus is represented by 25 species in Europe and the correct identification of some of them is difficult to achieve due to lack of diagnostic characters and some published errors description. In this paper I have studied specimens of Lepidocyrtus flexicollis, L. curvicollis, L. monseniensis and L. nigrescens and I have found several diagnostic characters very useful for their differentiation. The total chaetotaxy of fourth abdominal tergum is very informative for these four species and could be for the whole European species. I have consulted the literature that describes the European species and I made a diagnosis of all of them using the best diagnostic characters possible, with which I have elaborated an identification species key. The high chromatic variability of some European species makes the use of color pattern for taxonomy on this region problematic.