Time to restart: Study of the Dermaptera of the Indian subcontinent

Abstract

The Dermaptera is a polyneopteran order with > 2,000 described species from mainly tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions. More than 310 species of the Dermaptera belonging to nine families have been reported from the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) as a result of the extensive work of Gyanendra Kumar Srivastava. Embracing environmental and climatic heterogeneity, the Indian subcontinent is an intersection of multiple faunal regions and includes several dermapteran groups of special interest. To restart the studies on the Dermaptera of this region, which has been stagnant for a decade, this paper includes a beginner’s guide for collecting and identifying Dermaptera, together with a brief summary of recent advances in their classification and phylogeny.