Earwig

An earwig is a small bug.

It has pincers on its tail. These pincers help it catch food. They also help it stay safe.

Earwigs have wings. They hide these wings under hard covers. Most earwigs like to stay out at night. They hide in dark, wet spots during the day.

Mothers care for their eggs and young bugs. This is special for an insect. It is fun to look for them in a garden!

An earwig is a small insect.

Most earwigs live on every continent except Antarctica. They like to hide in dark, wet spots during the day. At night, they come out to find food. They eat many things like plants and other bugs.

Earwigs have a special pair of pincers on their tail. Scientists call these pincers cerci. Males often have pincers that are more curved than females. They use these parts to catch food and stay safe.

Earwigs also have wings. They hide thin wings under short, hard covers. They do not fly very often. Most earwigs go through a set of steps to grow. This is called incomplete metamorphosis. They molt, or shed their skin, many times as they grow.

Mother earwigs are very special. They stay near their eggs to keep them safe. They clean the eggs to keep them healthy. They even watch over their young bugs until they grow up. This kind of care is not common for insects.

Earwigs are fascinating insects that belong to an order called Dermaptera.

This name comes from Greek words meaning "skin wings." This is because they have short, leathery forewings that cover their delicate hindwings. There are about 2,000 different species of earwigs in the world today. They can be found on every continent except for Antarctica. Most earwigs are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. During the day, they prefer to hide in dark, moist places like bark or soil.

An earwig has a very specific way it works to stay safe. Most have a pair of pincers on their abdomen called cerci. They use these forceps to catch prey and to defend themselves. Males usually have pincers that are more curved than the straight ones on females. Their wings are also very special and unique among insects. The thin hindwings fold up like a fan under the short forewings. To fold them, the earwig actually uses its pincers to help. This allows them to keep their wings tucked away safely.

Scientists have studied earwigs for a long time to learn their history. The name Dermaptera was given by Charles De Geer in 1773. Some earwig fossils come from very old times in Earth's history. These fossils belong to groups like Archidermaptera from the Late Triassic period. Others, called Eodermaptera, date back to the Middle Jurassic.

Even though they are small, they have a very long history on our planet. They are part of a large group called Polyneoptera. This group also includes stoneflies and angel insects.

Earwigs have many different sizes and types across the globe. The Australian giant earwig can grow to be about 35 millimeters long. There was once a species called the Saint Helena earwig that reached 35 millimeters too. In North America, there are about 25 different species. The common earwig was brought to North America from Europe in 1907.

In Europe, there are 45 species, and in Australia, there are 60. Some earwigs can even form huge swarms in certain areas. In 1755, a huge number of them appeared near Stroud in the UK.

Growing up is a big job for a young earwig.

They go through a process called incomplete metamorphosis. This means they grow by shedding their skin, which is called molting. A young earwig will molt five times in its first year. Mother earwigs provide amazing care, which is rare for most insects.

They stay with their eggs to keep them warm and clean. The mothers even protect the tiny nymphs until they molt a second time. This helps the young earwigs survive as they grow into adults.

Earwigs are a diverse group of insects belonging to the order Dermaptera. This scientific name comes from Greek words meaning "skin wings." This name describes their unique wing structure. They possess short, leathery forewings that act as protective covers. Underneath these covers, they hide delicate, membranous hindwings. There are approximately 2,000 known species divided into 12 different families. While they are a relatively small insect order, they are found on every continent except Antarctica.

The physical structure of an earwig is built for life in tight spaces. Most species have elongated, flattened bodies. This shape allows them to squeeze into narrow crevices like tree bark or soil. Their most famous feature is a pair of forceps-like pincers on the abdomen called cerci. These cerci serve many vital functions. Earwigs use them to capture prey and to defend themselves against predators. They also use the pincers to help fold their complex hindwings.

Wing mechanics in earwigs are highly specialized. The hindwing is a very thin membrane that expands like a fan. It radiates from a single point and is folded tightly under the short forewings, known as tegmina. These tegmina are sclerotized, meaning they are hardened, to protect the wings. The process of folding these wings is unique among insects. It actually requires the use of the cerci to manage the intricate venation and folding pattern.

Earwigs undergo a developmental process called incomplete metamorphosis, or hemimetabolous development. This means they do not have a pupal stage like butterflies. Instead, they grow through a series of stages called instars. A young earwig will typically undergo five molts in its first year before reaching adulthood. During these stages, sexual dimorphism begins to appear. This is when males and females start to look different. For example, male earwigs generally develop more curved pincers than females.

One of the most remarkable aspects of earwig biology is their maternal care. This behavior is quite uncommon among the insect world. After mating in the autumn, the female lays between 20 and 80 pearly white, oval-shaped eggs. She does not leave them. Instead, she stays to protect the eggs from predators and keeps them warm. She also performs a continuous cleaning ritual to protect the eggs from fungi. She will continue to care for her offspring, called nymphs, until they complete their second molt.

The history of the Dermaptera order stretches back millions of years. Living earwigs belong to the suborder Neodermaptera, which first appeared during the Cretaceous period. Fossil evidence also shows older groups existed in the past. Some fossils are placed in the extinct suborder Archidermaptera, which dates to the Late Triassic. Other fossils belong to the Eodermaptera, which date to the Middle Jurassic. This shows that the basic earwig body plan has been successful for a very long time.

Earwigs are found in many different environments and sizes. The Australian giant earwig, Titanolabis colossea, is a massive species reaching about 35 millimeters. There was once a species on Saint Helena that reached a similar size before being declared extinct in 2014. In North America, about 25 species exist. The common earwig, Forficula auricularia, was introduced from Europe in 1907. While most earwigs are nocturnal scavengers, some can be quite aggressive. Some species, like Doru taeniatum, can even squirt a foul-smelling yellow liquid from scent glands to scare away threats.

Ecologically, earwigs play various roles in their habitats. Most are omnivores or scavengers that eat plants, fruit, and other insects. However, some species are specialized parasites. Certain groups, such as those in the suborders Arixeniina and Hemimerina, are wingless and blind. These specific earwigs live as parasites on other animals. This shows how much the order has adapted to different ways of living. Whether they are hiding in woodland debris or living in caves, earwigs are a highly adaptable group of insects.