Ecology of Oreasiobia fedtschenkoi in a mountain site of Eastern Kyrgyzstan (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)

Abstract

Oreasiobia fedtschenkoi (Saussure, 1874) is a poorly known earwig however widely distributed across Central Asia. We evaluated some aspects of the autecology of this species in the site of Boz-Salkyn south of the huge endorheic mountain Issyk-Kul Lake near the village of Bokonbaevo (Bökönbaev) in Kyrgyzstan. The analysis of the ecological context identified the characteristics of a habitat particularly favorable for this species as high altitude meadows at around 2,500 m surrounded by granite reliefs and vast forests at the base of high mountains. Data about type, color, texture and hardness of soil have been evaluated. Among biological features of the alpine meadows, the diversity of some groups of species such as vascular plants and insects have been analyzed. Earwigs have been found under small granite stones simply placed on the ground, cow dungs, wooden structures, at the apex of thin Graminaeae stem and finally under artificial material. In our sample, 120 individuals of which 101 were sexed, females significantly outnumber males. Furthermore, the weight/length data are higher in females. On the basis of bibliographical data and our observations, O. fedtschenkoi deserves the attributes of sublapidicolous, orophilous and mesohygrophilous species. The tourist site of Boz-Salkyn is constantly affected by anthropogenic pressure which may threated the conservation of its peculiar biological diversity.

Key words: Autecology, orophilous species, Central Asia, sex ratio, distribution, conservation.