Uncovering urban biodiversity: A remarkable new species of Mongolabis from Nanjing City, China (Dermaptera: Anisolabididae)

The earwig family Anisolabididae (Dermaptera) remains taxonomically challenging due to the generic boundaries being largely defined by overlapping characters derived from male genital morphology. During a faunal survey conducted in the Qixia Mountain Scenic Area in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China, a remarkable new species referable to genus Mongolabis Zacher, 1911 was discovered. The new species, Mongolabis qixiashana sp. nov., is distinguished by its unique male genital structure bearing a distinct rounded process within the groove between the dorsal and ventral membranes of the external parameres, which is an autapomorphic feature not found in any of its congeners or related genera. Although its overall paramere proportions and margins resemble those of Mongolabis, the generic placement of the new species is considered tentative pending a comprehensive phylogenetic reassessment of the family. This finding highlights the persistence of hidden earwig diversity within highly urbanized environments and underscores the need for an integrative revision of Anisolabididae combining morphology and molecular data.