''Anisolabis howarthi'' is a blind,
troglobite species of
earwig in the genus ''
Anisolabis'', the family
Anisolabididae
Anisolabididae is a family of earwigs, in the suborder Forficulina and the order Dermaptera. It is one of nine families in the suborder Forficulina, and contains thirty-eight genera spread across thirteen subfamilies.
Subfamilies
The family cont ...
, the suborder
Forficulina
Neodermaptera, sometimes called Catadermaptera,[BioLib.cz]
suborder Catadermaptera Steinmann, 1986 (retrieved 16 Se ...
, and the order
Dermaptera.
The species is native to
Hawaii, and was first classified by Brindle in 1979.
According to a paper published by him in 1980 in the journal ''Pacific Insects'', the species is first known true troglobite earwig; while there are other blind species that live underneath soil or
humus
In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...
, this is the first to actually inhabit a cave.
References
Anisolabididae
Endemic fauna of Hawaii
Cave insects
Insects described in 1979
{{Earwig-stub