There are nearly 2,000 different species of Earwig! living in the southern part of the New World. Accessed

March 19, 2012 They also have compound eyes, enabling them to use sight as well to perceive their environment. at http://books.google.com/books?id=0gsPc5lk7_UC&pg=PA739&lpg=PA739&dq=forficula+auricularia+lifespan&source=bl&ots=mv38FzgUsd&sig=n7jO0MFFV45rs1bXfoLH_t6HWFM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4ppvT62FK4WtgweZzPyuAQ&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=forficula%20auricularia%20lifespan&f=false. ("Common European Earwig", 2012; Crumb, et al., 1941; Jacobs, 2009; Kolliker, 2007), There is little information on the home range of European earwigs.

Classification, To cite this page: Earwigs are omnivores, which means they eat both plant and animal material.

One way is to expose them to their own predators. April 04, 2012

And 1000+ more incredible animals. Male earwigs often die before females, when they are kicked out of the burrow during the winter months. Earwigs are Omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and other animals.

2011. The insect uses its cerci while it feeds, and they also come into play when it mates and defends itself.

includes commonly intercepted genera * taxa not yet in the guide classification follows. They are not as nearly destructive as aphids or other pests, but their feeding can still cause considerable damage to crops.

Twenty of the 1,100 earwig species occur in the U.S., including the alien European Earwig. Additional support has come from the Marisla Foundation, UM College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Museum of Zoology, and Information and Technology Services. The earwig also eats crops and garden plants, but it is also a very efficient killer of other garden pests such as thrips, aphids, and snails. Earwigs do not go into peoples ears and lay eggs. Theyre also found in garbage cans, in bathrooms, and on lawn furniture. In other words, India and southeast Asia. Jacobs, S. 2009.

initially Dermaptera was defined to include roaches, mantids, grasshoppers and crickets, etc. European earwigs are native to Europe, eastern Asia, and northern Africa.

Some species often hide in cargo and are easily spread by commerce. Encyclopedia of Entomology. However, the forceps are not used in the actual mating process. at http://www.earthlife.net/insects/dermapta.html.

Earwigs are found just about everywhere on earth save Antarctica, which is too cold and dry for them. 2007. Efficient killers and eaters of earwigs are birds, toads, snakes, and beetles. February 23, 2012 Nymphs also release pheromones, which encourage mothers to provide care to their young. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, http://www.arkive.org/common-european-earwig/forficula-auricularia/video-11.html, http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/earwig-tf.pdf, http://books.google.com/books?id=0gsPc5lk7_UC&pg=PA739&lpg=PA739&dq=forficula+auricularia+lifespan&source=bl&ots=mv38FzgUsd&sig=n7jO0MFFV45rs1bXfoLH_t6HWFM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4ppvT62FK4WtgweZzPyuAQ&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=forficula%20auricularia%20lifespan&f=false, http://books.google.com/books?id=i9ITMiiohVQC&pg=PA1368&lpg=PA1368&dq=lifespan+of+Forficula+auricularia&source=bl&ots=VWBlPwgNRQ&sig=-GkAGkMHMrCAZC_xKY8uNtetSM4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lIZqT_rmCsbjsQLl2fH1BQ&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=lifespan%20of%20Forficula%20auricularia&f=false, http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05533.html, http://quod.lib.umich.edu/n/nal/17038117.0766.001/1?view=image&size=75, http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/j-b-john-bretland-farmer/the-book-of-nature-study-volume-1-hci.shtml, summit.sfu.ca/system/files/iritems1/8308/etd3195.pdf, http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/pdf/europeanEarwigs.pdf, http://dl2af5jf3e.search.serialssolutions.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/?sid=CSA:ecology-set-c&pid=%3CAN%3E7954478%3C%2FAN%3E%26%3CPB%3ESpringer%2DVerlag%2C%20Heidelberger%20Platz%203%20Berlin%2014197%20Germany%2C%20%5Bmailto%3Asubscriptions%40springer%2Ede%5D%2C%20%5BURL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Espringer%2Ede%2F%5D%3C%2FPB%3E%26%3CPY%3E2007%3C%2FPY%3E%26%3CAU%3EKoelliker%2C%20Mathias%3C%2FAU%3E&id=doi%3A10%2E1007%2Fs00265%2D007%2D0381%2D7&issn=0340%2D5443&volume=61&issue=9&spage=1489&epage=1497&date=2007%2D07&genre=article&aulast=Koelliker&aufirst=Mathias&title=Behavioral%20Ecology%20and%20Sociobiology&atitle=Benefits%20and%20costs%20of%20earwig%20%28Forficula%20auricularia%29%20family%20life, http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.1653/024.094.0457, http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/diaglab/hilites/a3640.pdf, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1993.tb00460.x/pdf, http://www.earthlife.net/insects/dermapta.html, http://dl2af5jf3e.search.serialssolutions.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/?sid=CSA:objectsclust-env-set-c&pid=%3CAN%3E301%2D0002489752%3C%2FAN%3E%26%3CPB%3EBlackwell%20Publishing%20Ltd%2E%2C%209600%20Garsington%20Road%3C%2FPB%3E%26%3CPY%3E2007%3C%2FPY%3E%26%3CAU%3ERANTALA%2C%20MARKUS%20J%3B%20ROFF%2C%20DEREK%20A%3B%20RANTALA%2C%20LIISA%20M%3C%2FAU%3E&id=doi%3A10%2E1111%2Fj%2E1095%2D8312%2E2007%2E00741%2Ex&issn=0024%2D4066&volume=90&issue=3&spage=509&epage=516&date=2007%2D03&genre=article&aulast=RANTALA&auinit=MARKUSJ&title=Biological%20Journal%20of%20the%20Linnean%20Society&atitle=Forceps%20size%20and%20immune%20function%20in%20the%20earwig%20Forficula%20auricularia%20L%2E, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/doi/10.1002/jmor.1051220105/pdf, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01526.x/pdf, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0418.2006.01064.x/pdf, http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/content/u6u1013315x85883/fulltext.pdf, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN15900.pdf, http://www.bioone.org.proxy.lib.umich.edu/doi/pdf/10.3398/064.070.0403, 2020 Regents of the University of Michigan.

Taxon Information There are a dozen families and 2000 species in this order, which is Greek for skin wing. Earwig itself derives from an Old English word meaning ear insect or beetle and refers to the shape of its wings. March 21, 2012

They max out at just under 1 inches. (On-line).

European earwigs can help to control the population of aphids, thereby decreasing the amount of pest destruction to the crops. The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. European earwigs are essentially harmless to humans, but their unpleasant odor and appearance make them unwanted guests in the home. European earwigs reach sexual maturity at 3 months and are able to reproduce in the next breeding season.

They are harmless nocturnal omnivorous scavengers whose chewing mouthparts allow a diet that includes organic debris, other insects (they stalk aphids by night), and plants (with some fruit and garden plants thrown in occasionally).

used loosely to describe any group of organisms living together or in close proximity to each other - for example nesting shorebirds that live in large colonies. February 02, 2012

"The Earwigs (Dermaptera)"

Intellectually and Emotionally.

The European Earwig. The earwig is about half an inch long when it is mature, though the giant Australian earwig can grow to 2 inches long.

found in the oriental region of the world. Accessed

March 25, 2012

The scientific name of the common earwig is Forficula auricularia. Staerkle, M., M. Kolliker. 1941.

("Common European Earwig", 2012; Crumb, et al., 1941; Jacobs, 2009; Kolliker, 2007). The nadir of her earwig interface came when she flipped up the cover of the garage-door-opener keypad and 7 or 8 earwigs dropped out.

This post may contain affiliate links to our partners like Chewy, Amazon, and others. (Avery, et al., 2002; Walker and Fell, 2001), European earwigs typically breed once yearly from September to January. These include ground beetles like Pterostichus vulgaris, P. algidus, Carabus nemoralis, and Calosoma tepidum, as well as flightless tiger beetles (Omus dejeanii). What are some distinguishing features of Earwigs? This is actually a myth, and there are few known cases of earwigs actually crawling into the ears of people. Fish that walk! 2011.

at http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/pdf/europeanEarwigs.pdf. Accessed animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature. Rammel, G. 1998. These include using their forceps as a weapon and using glands found in the abdomen to secrete chemicals that act as a repellent to predators.

Ethology, 114/9: 844-850. Today, they can be found on all continents except Antarctica. Earwigs were thought to crawl into people's ears at night to nest or lay eggs -- an obvious myth, possibly rooted in rare cases of an earwig accidentally wandering into the ear of someone sleeping in a damp place. Like most other insects, the earwig has six legs. They prefer to hitch rides on clothing, plants brought in from the garden center, or lumber. Some species have 4 wings, some have only short, leathery forewings, and some are wingless. In some species, Mother Earwig has uncommon, among arthropods, anyhow, maternal instincts.

Cranshaw, W. 2011. Another way to get rid of them is to spray them with pure rubbing or grain alcohol. (Farmer, 2010; Hehar, 1999; Slifer, 2005), The segmented antennae of European earwigs contain many sense organs such as chemoreceptors that aid in sensing odors.

Because they often eat pantry items, flowers, and crops, they are problematic for humans. However, their diet, lifespan, and outward appearance are each unique. Kolliker, M. 2007. The best thing to do is to make sure they are not brought into the house in the first place and to eliminate them right away if they are seen. Mix the alcohol with some water, and spritz the bugs.

Earwigs are attracted to places that are moist and warm, so it is difficult to completely house-proof against earwigs.

Suckling, D., G. Burnip, J. Hackett, J. Daly. Rantala, M., D. Roff, L. Rantala.

2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico July 20-24!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (Capinera, 2008; Jacobs, 2009; Pellitteri, 1999), Female European earwigs hibernate about 5 to 8 mm underground with their eggs, guarding them and keeping them clean from fungi and other pathogens using their mouth. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.

Purchasing through these helps us further the A-Z Animals mission to educate about the world's species.. View all of our Earwig pictures in the gallery.

Forficula derives from a Latin word for little shears or scissors, which describes the insects pincers. Spiders that fly! Accessed

Simple metamorphosis with visible changes including increasing number of antennal segments and progressive wing development until sexual maturity. They are found in a very large geographic range and at elevations up to 2,824 m. During the day, they prefer places that are dark and moist to hide from predators. Frass sampling and baiting indicate European earwig (Forficula auricularia) foraging in orchards. Defense Mechanisms of Arthropods. Really! The International Wildlife Encyclopedia. living in the northern part of the Old World. Avery, R., R. Cave, F. Collins, J.

EUROPEAN EARWIG, FORFICULA AURICULARIA L. (DERMAPTERA: FORFICULIDAE), AT THE HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT, WASHINGTON STATE. Their geographic range continues to expand, and they have been found on an island in the Pacific Ocean (Island of Guadalupe). Farmer, J. at summit.sfu.ca/system/files/iritems1/8308/etd3195.pdf.

Fish Quiz Can You Identify These 20 Fishes? Wolf Quiz What is Special About These Family Animals? at http://www.bioone.org.proxy.lib.umich.edu/doi/pdf/10.3398/064.070.0403. London: London, Caxton Publishing Company. These include types of ground beetles, birds, snakes, and toads. Female earwigs certainly dont lay their eggs in peoples brains. Their habitats include forests, agricultural, and suburban areas. (On-line pdf). Accessed

Earwigs are not directly harmful to humans. Earwig vs Silverfish: What Are 8 Key Differences?

The average number of babies an Earwig has is 50. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. They can also cause damage to fruits and other crops as they feed on them. Its possible that an earwig may be found in the ear once in a blue moon but probably no more frequently than any other bug.

March 21, 2012

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 61/9: 1489-1497. Eric R. Eaton and Ken Kaufman in the Field Guide to Insects of North America, attribute earwig to a corruption of ear-wing, a reference to the ear-shaped wings of some species.

the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.

Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts.

Slifer, E. 2005. There are 71 genera just in the Forficulidae family. What Do Silverfish Eat? Earwigs eat plants, flowers, and insects.

If they feel threatened, theyll drop to the floor and scramble away. There are nearly 2,000 different species! in 12 genera of 6 families in our area, Earwigs have slender flattened body, bead-like antennae, and are easily recognized by the pair of large pincers (. Earwigs are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals, living or dead. Japanese Beetle Traps: Should You Use One or Do They Make It Worse? If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office. Hehar, G. 1999. Capinera, J.

at http://dl2af5jf3e.search.serialssolutions.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/?sid=CSA:ecology-set-c&pid=%3CAN%3E7954478%3C%2FAN%3E%26%3CPB%3ESpringer%2DVerlag%2C%20Heidelberger%20Platz%203%20Berlin%2014197%20Germany%2C%20%5Bmailto%3Asubscriptions%40springer%2Ede%5D%2C%20%5BURL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Espringer%2Ede%2F%5D%3C%2FPB%3E%26%3CPY%3E2007%3C%2FPY%3E%26%3CAU%3EKoelliker%2C%20Mathias%3C%2FAU%3E&id=doi%3A10%2E1007%2Fs00265%2D007%2D0381%2D7&issn=0340%2D5443&volume=61&issue=9&spage=1489&epage=1497&date=2007%2D07&genre=article&aulast=Koelliker&aufirst=Mathias&title=Behavioral%20Ecology%20and%20Sociobiology&atitle=Benefits%20and%20costs%20of%20earwig%20%28Forficula%20auricularia%29%20family%20life. February 23, 2012 (Pavon-Gozalo, et al., 2011; Weems and Skelley, 2007), European earwigs are brownish red in color and have elongated bodies that range from 12 to 15 mm long.

February 23, 2012 Journal of Morphology, 122/1: 63-80. Female earwigs live alone during the mating season, but during the other months of the year earwigs tend to congregate in very large groups. Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. At night, they emerge to hunt or scavenge for food.

They can bite and pinch, but these are more annoying than harmful. European earwigs have several different defense mechanisms used to avoiding predation. They are active at night, and some species are drawn to outdoor lights. "Controlling Earwigs" February 02, 2012 She protects her eggs (laid in a nest in the ground) and may also care for and feed her newly-hatched young until they can fend for themselves. Forceps-like appendages (cerci), more prominent in males than females, decorate what the BugLadys Sainted Grandma called the part that goes over the fence last, giving them a scorpion-like appearance.

2008. Pavon-Gozalo, P., B. Mila, P. Aleixandre, J. Calderon, A. Zaldivar-Riveron, J. Hernandez-Montoya, M. Garcia-Paris. that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).