The Pyrenean species of Chelidura (Dermaptera, Forficulidae)

Abstract

The Pyrenees are inhabited by scattered populations of earwigs of the genus Chelidura Latreille, 1825. There is some controversy about the specific assignment of these populations: while most authors assign them to C. pyrenaica (Gené, 1832), other consider that C. aptera (Mégerlé, 1825) is also present in the Pyrenees. The main objective of this work was to revise the identity and synonyms of Pyrenean Chelidura. Specimens from recent fieldwork and collections (MNCN-CSIC) were used for morphological and molecular studies (cytochrome oxidase 1). All Pyrenean specimens shared similar cox1 sequences, very divergent from those of Alpine C. aptera. As a consequence, the variability observed in male cerci morphology from the Pyrenees, ranging from long and slightly curved to short and very curved, corresponded to C. pyrenaica, and the presence of C. aptera in the Pyrenees can be rejected. As previously suggested by Maccagno (1933) and Fontana et al. (2021), the revision of the synonymic list uncovered the misplacement of the name F. simplex Germar, 1825 under the synonymy of C. aptera, while it rather represents a synonym of C. pyrenaica (syn. nov.). Forficula simplex has nomenclatural priority over C. pyrenaica, however both names meet the requirements of the article 23.9.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to retain the prevailing usage of C. pyrenaica (nomen protectum) over F. simplex (nomen oblitum). Additionally, we discuss the taxonomic status of Chelidura arverna David & Van Herrewege, 1973 stat. nov. from the French Massif Central.

Taxonomy of the Iberian species of Pseudochelidura (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)

“…Defining evolutionary units using discrete traits is often a challenge because of problems overestimating phenotypic variability (Pomorski 1990;Jurado-Angulo et al 2021;Sottile et al 2022) or, on the contrary, underestimating it (Posso-Terranova & Andrés 2018;Sánchez-Vialas et al 2020). Pyrenean populations of Pseudochelidura have been treated as three different taxonomic units, P. sinuata, P. minor and P. montuosa, based on the shape of male cerci and pygidium (Steinmann 1979(Steinmann , 1981Caussanel et al 1990;Herrera Mesa 1999;Cuesta-Segura 2012), a set of characters widely used for taxonomic inference in Dermaptera Kočárek 2004;Anlaş & Kočárek 2012;Kirstová et al 2020;Fontana et al 2021b…”

“…Intraspecific variability of male cerci in earwigs is well known (Dohrn 1867;Diajonov 1925;Ollason 1970;Srivastava 1970;Mourier 1986;Simpson & Mayer 1990;Fontana et al 2021b;García-París et al 2021;Jurado-Angulo et al 2021); however, the levels of variability found in males of Pseudochelidura (Figs 2-3) are probably among the highest. It is thus somewhat counterintuitive that morphological differences in cerci shape between Pyrenean and Cantabrian populations (Figs 2-3) are relatively small and more limited than intrapopulational variability, but this is a situation relatively similar to that described for the French Massif Central and Pyrenean populations of Chelidura (Jurado-Angulo et al…”

“…4.0a (Swofford 2002). Cytb was selected to provide mitochondrial information for phylogeographic analyses in this study, instead of the generally used cox1 (González-Miguéns et al 2020;Kirstová et al 2020;Jurado-Angulo et al 2021), because we had consistent PCR amplifications of Wolbachia (Rickettsiales) (Werren et al 2008) cox1 in leg tissues of Pseudochelidura.…”

“…The mountain systems of Western Europe are inhabited by a set of genera of earwigs, Chelidura Latreille, 1825, Eulithinus Hincks, 1935, Mesochelidura Verhoeff, 1902, and Pseudochelidura Verhoeff, 1902, characterized by presenting a series of adaptations typical of species inhabiting high elevation areas, including lack of wings, wide abdominal segments, relatively short antennae, and often, complex male cerci Steinmann 1993;Kočárek 2004;Kirstová et al 2020;Fontana et al 2021b;Jurado-Angulo et al 2021). Most of these genera were placed in the subfamily Anechurinae Burr, 1907, although their affinities and relationships with other members of the family Forficulidae Latreille, 1810 are still unresolved (Kirstová et al 2020;Fontana et al 2021b).…”

“…During a recent revision of the Iberian Dermaptera De Geer, 1773 (García-París 2017;González-Miguéns et al 2020;García-París et al 2021;Jurado-Angulo et al 2021), we had the opportunity of collecting and examining live specimens of Pseudochelidura from all the areas where the genus was reported in the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains. In addition, we had the opportunity to examine large series of Iberian specimens held at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN, CSIC) (Madrid, Spain).…”