Aborolabis, Srivastava, 1969

García-París, Mario, 2017, Taxonomy Of Iberian Anisolabididae (Dermaptera), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 63 (1), pp. 29-43 : 30-34

Aborolabis

Thegenus Aborolabis wasintegratedexclusivelybysouthernAsianspecies ( SRIvAStAvA 1969, 1972, 1976) untiltheadditionbySteInmAnn (1978, 1979, 1981 b, 1984) ofasetofMediterraneanandAfricanspeciestothegenus, addinguptoatotalof 13 species ( SRIvAStAvA 1993). AccordingtoSteInmAnn (1979, 1984, 1989), thegenusincludedfivespeciesintheMediterraneanBasin: Aborolabis mauritanica (Lucas, 1849) , described from Algeria, Aborolabis mordax Steinmann, 1978 , describedfromTunisia, Aborolabiscerrobarjai Steinmann, 1979, describedfromSpain, A. rufocapitata Steinmann, 1984 , describedfrom Algeria, and Aborolabisangulifera (Dohrn, 1864) describedfromSãoThomé, but recorded in Morocco by SteInmAnn (1979, 1989). Three of them, A. mauritanica , A. mordax , and A. cerrobarjai , havebeenreportedintheIberianPeninsulabySteInmAnn (1978, 1979, 1989).

IhadtheopportunitytorevisepartofthetypematerialusedbySteIn- mAnn (1978, 1979, 1984) fortheoriginaldescriptionsof A. mordax (Fig. 1a,b) and A. cerrobarjai (Fig. 2a,b), plusaseriesofspecimensofnorthernAfrican Aborolabis studiedandidentifiedbyH. Steinmann, alllocatedattheHungar- ianNaturalHistoryMuseum (HNHM).

ThecharactersusedinthedescriptionsandthekeypresentedbySteIn- mAnn (1979) todiscriminatespecies, werefocussedincolorationofthetibiae andfemora, andalsointherelativeshapeofmalegenitalstructures. SteIn- mAnn (1979) usedcolorationoftibiaeandtherelativewidthofthetriangular processoftheinternalmarginofthemalegenitalia, toseparate A. mordax and A. cerrobarjai , indicatingthat A. cerrobarjai presentsyellowtibiaeandthemaxi- mum width at the basis of the process, while A. mordax and A. mauritanica presentdarktibiaeandthemaximumwidthatthemiddleoftheprocess. SteInmAnn (1979) furtherseparated A. mordax and A. mauritanica usingcolorationofthefemora, blackandyellowin A. mauritanica , allorange-yellowin A. mordax , andbyrelativeshapeofgenitalstructures.

Adirectexaminationofthetypematerialof A. mordax and A. cerrobarjai (Figs 1, 2) showsthatSteinmann’soriginaldescriptionswerepreciseandac- curate. However, someofthematerialsof A. mordax and A. cerrobarjai studied bySteInmAnn (1978,1979) correspondtoimmaturemalespecimens. Imma- tureandrecentlymetamorphosedmalesinthefamilyAnisolabididaeshow externalsecondarysexualcharactersandgenitalstructurescharacteristically developed, butwithalargevariability (JAmet & CAuSSAnel 1995, KAmImuRA 2000, 2007, KAmImuRA & IwASe 2010), probablyaconsequenceofpoorscleroti- zation. ColorationoftibiaeishighlyvariableinnorthernAfrican Aborolabis , fromsolidblacktolightcreamandvariesinimmatureandrecentlymeta- morphosedindividuals. Tibiaecolourchangesinvariablemannerduringthe dryingprocessafterdeath. Legsoflivenymphalspecimensof A. mauritanica showauniformcreamlightcolorationwhichbecomedarkeraftersubsequent moults (Fig. 3).

TheexternalandinternalcharactersusedbySteInmAnn (1978,1979) to diagnose A. mordax and A. cerrobarjai correspondtointraspecificvariability. Consequently, Iproposethat A. cerrobarjai isajuniorsynonymof A. mordax .

AccordingtoSteInmAnn (1978,1979), differentiationbetween A. mordax and A. mauritanica reliesmostlyoncolorationofthefemora: redandblackin A. mauritanica (Fig. 4), totallyyellowin A. mordax (Fig. 1). Bothpatternsare representedinthecollectionofadultspecimensexamined (seeAppendix 1), butsofarIhavenotobservedintra- populationvariabilityforthischaracter inadultspecimens. Populationswithspecimenspresentingtheproximaltwo thirdsofthefemorared, arescatteredoverEasternMorocco (GâadadeDeb- dou), centralAlgeria (Batna, Constantine), andTunisia (ElKef), whilepopulationswithentireyellowfemoraaredistributedovercoastalAlgeria (Kabylie, Fedja, ForetdeTagma) andTunisia (AïnDraham). Itislikelythatboth morphscorrespondtoasingletaxonomicunit, butIcannotconfirmthispoint withoutthestudyoflargerseries.

TheIberianspecimensof A. mordax (twoparatypes) and A. cerrobarjai (theholotypeandoneparatype) availableforstudyattheHNHM, arepartof thesamefieldseriesandbearidenticallabels, withthelocality: “ Spain, 2700 mSierraNevada” (Figs 1b, 2). Although, beingpartofthesamefieldseries could be used as a further argument to consider A. mordax and A. cerrobarjai partofasingletaxon, Ibelievethegeographicdataattachedtothosespeci- mensareincorrect.

Tryingtoobtainadditionalmaterialof Aborolabis, Iundertookthree expeditions (July 2010, June 2011, June 2012) toSierraNevada (Granada, Spain), accompaniedwithexperiencedbiologistsfromthenationalpark (see acknowledgements). Oursurveysincludeddiurnalandnocturnalsearches from 2500 to 3400 malongthewestern, southernandeasternslopesofthe SierraNevadamountainrange. Wefailedtofindanyspecimenof Aborolabis , althoughwewereabletofindtheotherspeciesofDermapterapresentathigh elevationsintheregion ( Eulithinus , Forficula ).

Theapparentabsenceof Aborolabis inSierraNevadawasalsostatedby F. PascualandA. Tinautwhomadeafinescaleprospectionthroughallthe SierraNevadaNationalPark (unpubl. report) todeterminethegeographic distributionof Eulithinusanalis (Rambur, 1838), aSierranhighelevationendemic earwig. They found Eulithinus in 127 squares of 1 × 1 km, but not a singlespecimenof Aborolabis wasencounteredduringthesurveys (A. Tinaut, pers. comm., May 2012). TherevisionofthecollectionofIberianDermaptera oftheMuseoNacionaldeCienciasNaturales (Madrid, Spain) didnotprovide anyspecimenof Aborolabis .

Figs 1–7. 1–2 = Aborolabis mordax Steinmann, 1978 (HNHM): 1 = holotype of A. mordax , male, “ Tunisia. EnvironsofAinDraham”, 2 = paratypeof A. cerrobarjai , amalelabelledas collectedin “ Spain, 2700 m, SierraNevada”. 3–4 = Aborolabiscerrobarjai Steinmann, 1979 (= A. mordax Steinmann, 1978 ) (HNHM), 4 = holotypeof A. montana Steinmann , inlitt. (= A. cerrobarjai Steinmann, 1981 ), male, “ Spain, 2700 mSierraNevada”, 4 = paratypeof A. cerrobarjai , female, “ Spain, 2700 mSierraNevada”. 5 = Nymphof Aborolabismauritanica (Lucas, 1846), fromGâadadeDebdou (LaOriental, Morocco) (photo: byMG-P). Notethepale colorationoflegs. Nymphswereobservedwhileattendedbyanadultfemale, withtypical redandblackfemora. 6 = Aborolabismauritanica (Lucas, 1846), “ Spain, Granada” (HNHM). 7 = Nymphalspecimenof Euborelliamoesta (Gené, 1839) fromanurbangardenofMadrid

( Spain) (photo: MG-P). Notetheannulatedfemoraandthepaleantennalsegments

Theonlypublisheddataonthepresenceof Aborolabis inIberiaarethose providedoriginallybySteInmAnn (1978, 1979, 1989) andreportedagainin subsequentworks (seeHeRReRAMeSA 1999, PAScuAl & BARRAncO 2013). However, A. mauritanica and A. mordax arelarge, conspicuous, shinyblack earwigswithorange-redoryellowlegs (Figs 1–2,4), whichwouldnotpass inadvertenttothehundredsofzoologiststhathavecollectedintheSierraNevadamountains, oneofthebetterexploredmountainrangesinSpain (RuAnO et al. 2013).

Tocomplicatematters, labelsontheSierraNevada Aborolabis heldatthe HNHM, andreportedbySteInmAnn (1978,1979), werewritteninthesame typeofpaper, withthesamewriting, andapparentlyatthesametime, as labels of Pseudochelidura montana Steinmann, 1981 (= Eulithinus montanus ). Eulithinusmontanus wasdescribedbySteInmAnn (1981 a) usingspecimens (type seriesexamined) thatonlycanbefoundathighelevationsinSierraNevada, becausethegenus Eulithinus isendemictothisSpanishmountainchain. Steinmannmusthavebeenconfusedatsomepoint, mixingthetypeseriesof E. montanus and the type series of A. cerrobarjai , since he labelled the types of A. cerrobarjai as: “ Holotypus Aborolabismontanasp. n. ” and “ Paratypus Aborolabismontanasp. n. ”. Itseemsquitelikely, thatduringtheprocessoflabelling thematerial, apartoftheseriesof A. mordax from “ Tunisia. EnvironsofAin Draham 31.III.1977 ” gotmixedwithaseriesof Eulithinus from “ Spain, 2700 m SierraNevadaDr. H. Steinmann // legit 18.6.1976 Dr. H. Steinmann”, andsubsequentlydescribedas A. cerrobarjai , orincludedasparatypesof A. mordax .

Usingalltheaboveevidence, Iconcludethatthereportsof Aborolabis mauritanica and A. mordax (= A. cerrobarjai ) intheIberianPeninsula (allfrom Granada, Spain), areerroneous, andconsequentlythespeciesshouldbeelimi- natedfromtheIberiancatalogueofDermaptera. Ibelieveitishighlyprob- ablethatthe Aborolabis specimensstudiedbySteinmannwereerroneously labelled, andthatthespecimenswerelikelycollectedinnorthwesternAfrica.

SomespeciesofDermapteraareknowntosettleinnon-nativeareasafter accidentaldispersalbyhumanactivities (GuIllet etal. 2000, NIShIkAwA & Ku- SuI 2008, PAvÓn- GOzAlO etal. 2011). Accidentalintroductionof A. mauritanica insouthernSpainispossible, sincemaritimetrafficisveryactivebetweenthe SpanishcityofAlmeríaandnorthernAfricancoastalcities (CAStROTOvAR & FeRReR 2007), butsofar, thereisnoevidenceofaccidentaltransportof Aborolabis .

Incidentally, theMoroccanmaterialstudiedandassignedbySteInmAnn (1979) to A. angulifera (BerkaneandTaforalt; seeAppendix 1) correspondsto A. mauritanica . Consequently, A. angulifera shouldberemovedfromtheMo- roccanfauna.