African Earwig
Euborellia cincticollis
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Dermaptera
- Family: Anisolabididae
- Genus: Euborellia
- Species: cincticollis
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Euborellia cincticollis: /juːbəˈrɛliə ˌsɪŋktɪˈkɒlɪs/
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Images
Summary
Euborellia cincticollis (Gerstäcker 1883) is a species of earwig in the family Anisolabididae, characterized by its forceps and antennal segments. It is native to parts of Africa and established populations in parts of North America.
Physical Characteristics
Length including forceps rarely over 10-15 mm. Adult Euborellia cincticollis has 17-20 antennal segments; nymphs have different antennomere counts depending on instar.
Identification Tips
Wingless specimens can be challenging to separate from Euborellia annulipes; look for antennal segment counts and pale ring characteristics around segments 15-16 for cincticollis compared to segments 11-13 for annulipes.
Habitat
Arid to semi-arid areas.
Distribution
Native to western and equatorial Africa; established in Arizona, California, and Texas.
Similar Taxa
Misconceptions
There are mentions of winged E. annulipes in older literature, which are likely based on misidentifications since annulipes is assumed to be always wingless.
Tags
- Euborellia
- earwig
- Insecta
- dermaptera