Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 1, 2026

Eodermaptera

Eodermaptera is an extinct suborder of earwigs known from the Middle Jurassic to Mid Cretaceous. Defining characteristics include "tarsi three-segmented, tegmina retain venation, 8th and 9th abdominal tergite in females are narrowed, but separate from 10th tergite and not covered by 7th tergite and exposed ovipositor" They are considered to be more closely related to Neodermaptera than the more basal Archidermaptera.

Last revised
Jun 1, 2026
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Eodermaptera
Temporal range:
Belloderma arcuata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Dermaptera
Suborder: †Eodermaptera
Engel, 2003
Families

See text

Eodermaptera is an extinct suborder of earwigs known from the Middle Jurassic to Mid Cretaceous. Defining characteristics include "tarsi three-segmented, tegmina retain venation, 8th and 9th abdominal tergite in females are narrowed, but separate from 10th tergite and not covered by 7th tergite and exposed ovipositor"1 They are considered to be more closely related to Neodermaptera than the more basal Archidermaptera.2

Systematics

  • Family Bellodermatidae Zhao, Shih & Ren, 2010
  • †Archaeosoma Zhang 1994 Laiyang Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
  • Superfamily Semenovioloidea Vishnyakova 1980
    • Family Turanodermatidae Engel 2003
    • Family Semenoviolidae Vishnyakova 1980
      • †Semenovioloides Vishnyakova 1980 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Callovian/Oxfordian
      • †Aglyptoderma Xiong et al, 2021 Jiulongshan Formation, China, Callovian3
References

References

  1. Zhao J, Zhao Y, Shih C, Ren D, Wang Y (November 2010). "Transitional fossil earwigs--a missing link in Dermaptera evolution". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 10 (1): 344. Bibcode:2010BMCEE..10..344Z. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-10-344. PMC 2993717. PMID 21062504.
  2. Engel MS, Peris D, Chatzimanolis S, Delclòs X (2015-05-30). "An earwig (Insecta: Dermaptera) in Early Cretaceous amber from Spain". Insect Systematics & Evolution. 46 (3): 291–300. doi:10.1163/1876312X-45032121. ISSN 1399-560X.
  3. Xiong, Shurong; Engel, Michael S.; Xiao, Lifang; Ren, Dong (2021-09-26). "New eodermapteran earwigs (Dermaptera) from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of China". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 45 (3): 335–343. Bibcode:2021Alch...45..335X. doi:10.1080/03115518.2021.1965215. ISSN 0311-5518. S2CID 244103979.