Above ground phase of biological cycle of the Europeen Earwing in Eastern Canada

What is it about?

The population structure of the European earwig was investigated in three sites in eastern Canada (Montréal, Québec; Fredericton, New Brunswick; Truro, Nova Scotia), with two goals; describe the seasonal trends of the epigeal phase (on the ground surface), and ascertain if the three studied populations belong to sibling species “A”, as opposed to sibling species “B” found in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Populations were checked weekly from the first spring melt of the frost barrier until after autumn first frost. This phase was short, about five months. The different instars and adults showed a single peak of abundance. No first instars, few second instars, and mostly fourth instars and adults were collected in the arborescent stratum. The data demonstrated that these three populations have the same production of one clutch of eggs and one larval cohort a year). The interbreeding experiment established that the three studied populations belong to the same sibling species (A) of F. auricularia, and differ from sibling species (B) from Vancouver (which produces two batches of eggs and presents two larval cohorts a year). I suggest that the climatic conditions in eastern Canada are like those in other world regions where sibling species “A” is present, and that these regions represent the edge of the bioclimatic environment of this species because of its limits on reproduction.

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Why is it important?

This is first time that both sibling species (A and B) are cited and above ground life cycle compared in Canada.