Table 4 Evolutional trends of key characters for Dermaptera
From: Transitional fossil earwigs - a missing link in Dermaptera evolution
Characters | Archidermaptera (Protodiplatyidae &Dermapteridae) | Eodermaptera (Bellodermatidae fam. nov.) | Eodermaptera (Semenoviolidae & Turanodermatidae) | Neodermaptera (Extant Earwigs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. of hind-leg tarsal segments | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
2nd tarsi | Normal, not elongated | heart-shaped | Normal, not elongated | Variable: normal but not elongated; or long and slender; or heart-shaped |
8th and 9th abdominal tergites in females | Distinct and separate from 10th tergite | Narrowed, but separate from 10th tergite and not covered by 7th tergite | Narrowed, but separate from 10th tergite and not covered by 7th tergite | Fused to 10th tergite and covered by 7th |
Adult cerci | Segmented | Segmented | Un-segmented forceps. they are segmented in nymphs | Un-segmented forceps. they are segmented in some nymphs |
Adult cerci | Symmetrical | Asymmetrical | Symmetrical | Symmetrical |