Euborellia annulipes (Dermaptera: Anisolabididae), a new alien earwig in Central European greenhouses: potential pest or beneficial inhabitant?

• Published in: Applied entomology and zoology Vol. 50; no. 2; pp. 201 - 206
• Main Authors: Kocarek, Petr, Dvorak, Libor, Kirstova, Marketa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer Japan 01-05-2015
• Subjects: Agriculture; Applied Ecology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Entomology; Environmental Management; Life Sciences; Original Research Paper; Plant Pathology; Zoology; Alien species; Biological control; Dermaptera; Anisolabididae
• ISSN: 0003-6862; 1347-605X
• DOI: 10.1007/s13355-015-0322-2

Extensive research was undertaken from 2010 to 2013 that focused upon the invertebrate fauna occurring in greenhouses of the botanical and zoological gardens in Czech Republic and Slovakia. Occurrences of the alien earwig,
Euborellia annulipes
(Lucas, 1847), were found in three greenhouses in Czech Republic, and these findings are the first to document established populations in Central European greenhouses. The spectrum of foods consumed by
E. annulipes
was studied with a post-mortem analysis of the gastrointestinal tract contents. Based on the analyses, we can conclude that
E. annulipes
is an omnivorous species that, in greenhouse conditions, predominantly feeds on plant tissue. Despite the fact that
E. annulipes
also feeds on invertebrates, our study points to a small proportion of such food in its diet under free-choice conditions in greenhouses. According to the large portion of plant tissues in the species’ diet, it could potentially be a pest of cultivated plants, especially seedlings and young plants with soft tissue.