New Earwigs from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Northeastern China (Dermaptera)

Simple Summary In this paper, two new genera with two new species of Dermaptera are described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. The discovery of these two new species enriches the comparatively meagre fossil record of Dermaptera, particularly from the Middle Jurassic. The description of Applanatiforceps angustus is another brick laid in the foundation of protodiplatyid diversity, and the new genus Ekpagloderma gracilentum highlights the diversity of cercal forms among Aglyptodermatinae and the remarkable homogeneity of the general morphology of groups within this clade. Two new genera and species of Dermaptera are described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China: Applanatiforceps angustus gen. et sp. nov. in the archidermapteran family Protodiplatyidae, and Ekpagloderma gracilentum gen et sp. nov. in the eodermapteran family Semenoviolidae. Applanatiforceps shares the typical characters of the extinct suborder Archidermaptera (e.g., pentamerous meta tarsi, filiform and multimerous cerci) and externalized ovipositor. The family identity of the Protodiplatyidae can be further distinguished by comparing this new genus with other genera of the Protodiplatyidae. As a result of its large compound eyes, tegmina without venation, body sparsely setose, legs rather short and slender, and shape of the veinless tegmina, Ekpagloderma is classified in the subfamily Aglyptodermatinae. Ekpagloderma not only has the typical features of the Aglyptodermatinae, but also exhibits a more primitive slender segmented cerci, which is different from all other genera of Eodermaptera. In fact, the diversity of Eodermaptera as known today indicates some of the challenges in understanding the suborder and whether or not it is monophyletic as historically construed, or if the separation of Turanodermaptera is justified.