Dermaptera; Forficulidae; earwig; Forficula smyrnensis; distribution; Italy; Europe

The Dermaptera species number reported for the Italian fauna (27 species) is the most conspicuous among the European Union. The knowledge on Italian Dermaptera is among the most accurate in Europe, above all thanks to the large number of well-known entomologists who, over two centuries, have dedicated themselves to it in depth. Half of the species of Dermaptera known for Italy have indeed been described by Italian entomologists. Four species are alien and some of which have long been acclimatized in Italy. Among these, Forficula smyrnensis Audinet-Serville, 1838, is reported here for the first time from Italy, found in the Marche, Veneto and Emilia Romagna Regions in 2011, 2018 and 2020 respectively. The last record could suggest an acclimatization of this species in Italy. The knowledge of Italian Dermaptera was already very wide and accurate in 1994 when the 36th issue of the Checklist of the Italian fauna was published and even more so after the revision of 2005. The recent revision of the genus Chelidurella Verhoeff, 1902 on a molecular basis has substantially confirmed the great complexity for this genus in Italy and the ongoing research on the genus Chelidura Latreille, 1825 in the central-western Alps could unveil a similar complexity.