Molecular Characterization of the Forficula tomis based on the Cytochrome C Oxidase I Gene

The ovine Earwigs of the genus Forficula play a significant role in agriculture and beekeeping, acting as pests and vectors of honey bee pathogens. Despite the ecological and agricultural significance, nucleotide sequences of the species Forficula tomis (F. tomis) are absent in genetic databases, which complicates its molecular identification. The present study aimed to perform the molecular characterization of the earwig F. tomis using the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene fragment as a molecular marker. A total of 18 earwig specimens were hand-collected from Apis mellifera hives in the Tyumen region, Russia. During the cultivation, 9 adults were obtained, which were used in the present study. Morphological analysis confirmed that F. tomis is the predominant species of bee hives in the Tyumen region. Sequencing of the COI gene fragment made it possible to obtain a reference sequence of F. tomis, which, in phylogenetic analysis, formed a separate clade and demonstrated a significant genetic distance (up to 22.9%) with other representatives of the genus Forficula. The optimal species differentiation threshold for the group was 11.7%, which significantly exceeds the standard barcode gap (3%) and may indicate long-term evolutionary isolation or the presence of cryptic diversity. The obtained results expand the present understanding of the genetic structure of the genus Forficula and have practical significance for monitoring apiary pests, developing methods for molecular identification of bee pests, and understanding their role in the spread of pathogens.