| Forficula dentata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male in Redondo Beach, California | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Dermaptera |
| Family: | Forficulidae |
| Genus: | Forficula |
| Species: | F. dentata |
| Binomial name | |
| Forficula dentata J.Fabr., 1775 | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Forficula dentata is a species of earwig in the family Forficulidae, commonly referred to as the Western earwig or European earwig. [2] It was first described by Danish zoologist, Johan Christian Fabricius, in 1775.
It is a cryptic species belonging to the Forficula auricularia species complex. [3] [4] Originally thought to be a synonym of F. auricularia, it has since been classified its own unique species. Being cryptic, it is often misidentified as F. auricularia or Forficula mediterranea , which differ in their distribution.
The distribution of F. dentata includes the British Isles, parts of Western Europe, Australia, [5] New Zealand, Chile, the Western United States and Canada. [6] Other populations of this species include the Belarusian Central Botanic Gardens, Belarus; Newfoundland, Canada; and an individual near Gimmingen, Germany. [7] [8] [9]
