Quite rare earwig species, endemic to Cape, South Africa (other species of Esphalmenus genus known from South Africa and Andes region of South America only according to Steinmann 1989).
Originally described as Gonolabis peringueyi by de Bormans in 1900. Type and syntypes were collected from Caledon, Cape Colony.
Type stored in NHM, London, UK (no pictures available):
https://data.nhm.ac.uk/record/bb909597-dedf-427d-8c04-4c02b3a24db3/586211/1724112000000
Mentioned by Burr 1909 for different locations location in the Cape Colony (Caledon, Nieuwoudtville, Cape Town, Dunbrody).
Distributed in Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
Drawing by Burr of male specimen:
Observations on iNat:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/225285995 (male from Caledon)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/224161453 (female from Caledon)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/173636787 (male from Ceres)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26919044 (male from Malmesbury)
Key to differentiate from other Esphalmenus species in South Africa (based on adult males only):
Black species; forceps without a dorsal process at the base of each branch, and branches less strongly curved; penultimate sternite
not excised apically. . . .ecarinatus
References:
de Bormans, A. (1900) Quelques Dermaptères du Musée Civique de Génes. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, 40, 441–467
BRINDLE, A. (1984). The Esphalmeninae (Dermaptera: Pygidicranidae): a group of Andean and Southern African earwigs. Systematic Entomology, 9(3), 281–292. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.1984.tb00053.x
Burr, M. (1909) Notes on the Forficularia. - XV. The Esphalmeninae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 8(3), 249–257. https://ia802305.us.archive.org/5/items/biostor-58386/biostor-58386.pdf
Steinmann, H. (1989) World Catalogue of Dermaptera. Series Entomologica, 43, 934 pp.
Comments
Wow - great article, thank you @permico
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