NEW RECORDS OF DERMAPTERA FROM UTTAR PRADESH

Although there is a comprehensive work on the Dermaptera fauna of India (Srivastava, 1988, 2003) the present knowledge on the Dermaptera fauna of Uttar Pradesh is meagre as this state has never been explored extensively earlier by any researchers. The Dermaptera collected during faunistic survey of Uttar Pradesh were studied and four species viz. Euborellia annullata (Fabricius, 1793) Euborellia compressa (Borelli, 1907) Forcipula quadrispinosa (Dohrn, 1863) and Proreus abdominalis Ramamurthi, 1965 have been recorded for the first time from Uttar Pradesh state. Out of which first one was collected from the plain land ecosystem of river Ganga and Yamuna, second and third one from Vindhyan ecosystem and last one from Terai ecosystem of the state.


INTRODUCTION
Although there is a comprehensive work on the Dermaptera fauna of India (Srivastava, 1988(Srivastava, , 2003) ) the present knowledge on the Dermaptera fauna of Uttar Pradesh is meagre as this state has never been explored extensively earlier by any researchers.The Dermaptera collected during faunistic survey of Uttar Pradesh were studied and four species viz.Euborellia annullata (Fabricius, 1793) Euborellia compressa (Borelli, 1907) Forcipula quadrispinosa (Dohrn, 1863) and Proreus abdominalis Ramamurthi, 1965 have been recorded for the first time from Uttar Pradesh state.Out of which first one was collected from the plain land ecosystem of river Ganga and Yamuna, second and third one from Vindhyan ecosystem and last one from Terai ecosystem of the state.
Diagnostic Characters : Wings absent but elytra present in the form of narrow, ovate lateral flaps on mesonotum.Sides of abdominal segments 6-9 acute angled posteriorly.Genitalia with parameres about as long as broad, external apical angles rounded with inner apical concavity, distal lobes with denticulated chitinous pads.
Diagnostic characters: Head with eyes prominent, distinctly shorter than gena.Legs with femora uniform yellow.Pronotum quadrate, slightly longer than broad, post ocular length gently widened posteriorly, lateral margin straight, gently reflexed, with hind angles rounded.Prozona weekly raised, medium sulcus distinct, meso and metanotum transeverse, smooth, hind margin of metanotum emarginate.Abdominal segments 6 th to 9 th acute angled posteriorly with an obliqe carina; penultimate sternite narrowed posteriorly with hind margin in middle subtruncate.Genitalia with paramerers about as long as broad with external apical angles acute, tips obtuse, oblique median membrane distinct, distal lobes with denticulated chitinous pads.
Diagnostic characters : Colour blackish brown.Pronotum quadrate, a little longer than broad, anterior margin straight, sides gently convex, posterior margin rounded, prozona tumid and metazona flat; elytra well developed, rugose, coastal margin with a linear convexity; wings well developed and rugose.Sides of abdominal segments 3rd to 6th with a sharp gently incurved spines (3 rd reduced); penultuimate sternite rounded posteriorly; ultimate tergite smooth, transverse slightly depressed in middle posteriorly with a tumid elevation above the base of forceps.Male forceps with the branches remote at the base, slender and elongate, bowed so as to form an elliptical space up to its two thirds part of their length from where the apical one third is straight downwards with pointed hooks inwards.Genitalia with parameres about five times longer than broad, almost of uniform width and rounded apex with short epimerite.
Diagnostic characters : Head orange or almond coloured; antennae 22 segmented, pt club shaped, longer than the combined length of 2 nd & 3 rd , 2 nd small and cuboidal, 3 rd , 4th and 5 th cylindrical, slightly longer than broad, 6 th and onwards gradually elongated and subcylindrical; mesotarsus bearing a spiniform obtuse process visible in a lateral view under 3 rd tarsal joint.Eyes small but prominent.Pronotum longer than broad, pro zona with almond or light brown colour, metazona fuscus, sides pale yellow.Elytra and wings well developed, yellowish with light blackish brown bands.Abdominal tergites punctuate with scarce pubescence; ultimate tergite quadrate, broader than long with disc terminating posteriorly in a row of 4 tubercles, caudal margin sinuate and raised above base of forceps.Forceps cylindrical, arcuate, so as to form an oval space, armed internally with a sharp tooth, a little behind middle of each arm ending in pointed hooks inwards.Genitalia is as shown in the figure .Distribution : India : Karnataka, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh (Deoria district).