Chelidurella is a genus of European earwigs that belongs to the subfamily Anechurinae. They are flightless.
This genus erected by Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff in 1902.Verhoeff KW (1902) Über Dermapteren. 1. Aufsatz. Versuch eines neuen, natürlichen Systems auf vergleichend-morphologischer Grundlage und über den Mikrothorax der Insecten. Zoologischer Anzeiger 25: 181–209. The genus name was recently restored (in 2021: several species had been placed in Chelidura) by Kirstová et al., who provide a key for identification of males. Kirstová, Kundrata, Kocárek (2021) Insect Systematics and Evolution 52: 343, 365.
Distribution The recorded distribution of species, which is possibly incomplete, is mostly in Northern Europe including Britain. A majority of members are restricted to high-altitude habitats with most species showing narrow endemic distributions in the Alps.Dermaptera Species File: genus Chelidurella Verhoeff, 1902 (Version 5.0/5.0; retrieved 3 May 2023)
Species Thin genus shows a significant amount of taxonomic uncertainty. This has led to new species being described based on subtle combinations of variable features on the pygidium and forceps which vary and overlap between species. In addition, growing evidence from molecular phylogenetic studies shows that this genus diversity may have been underestimated. This was shown with the discovery of cryptic species such as C. pseudovignai and C. maccagnoae.
This combination of flightlessness and restored distribution in the Alps has led to this genus having a low dispersal ability. This make Chelidurella particularly susceptible to such geographic isolation which can potentially lead to cryptic speciation in isolated mountain massifs.
Below is a list of species in the genus Chelidurella, there are currently 11 described species: Chelidurella acanthopygia (Géné, 1832) - type species (as Forficula acanthopygia Géné) Chelidurella caprai Vigna Taglianti, 1993 Chelidurella fontanai Galvagni, 1996 Chelidurella galvagnii Kirstová & Kočárek, 2021 Chelidurella maccagnoae Kočárek & Fontana, 2026 Chelidurella mutica (Krauss, 1886) Chelidurella poggii Capra, 1982 Chelidurella pseudovignai Kočárek & Kirstová, 2021 Chelidurella thaleri Harz, 1980 Chelidurella vignai Galvagni, 1995
References
External links