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Family Forficulidae - Common Earwigs

Earwig - Forficula auricularia - female Forficula auricularia - male BG2382 E6451 - Doru taeniatum - female Forficula auricularia ? - Forficula auricularia - female earwing 1 - Forficula auricularia earwig - Forficula auricularia - female Which Earwig? - Forficula auricularia - female Forficula dentata - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Dermaptera (Earwigs)
Family Forficulidae (Common Earwigs)
Explanation of Names
Forficulidae Latreille 1810
Numbers
The largest earwig family, with 6 spp. in 4 genera in our area (incl. 3 adventive spp. in 3 genera; only Doru spp. are native)(1) and >460 spp. in 66 genera worldwide, arranged into 8 subfamilies(2)
Identification
In the 3 tarsal ("foot") segments, the 2nd one extends under the outermost one, and is wider. Chelisochidae also has a 2nd tarsal segment extending under the final one, but it's the same width as or narrower than the part it extends under, and has a brush of bristles on the underside.
Range
worldwide, incl. most of NA; in our area, Doru aculeatum occurs in e. US & so. ON, 2 Doru spp. are restricted to so. US, the adventive Forficula spp. are widespread (and most common) + 2 adventive spp. recently found in so. FL(1)
Food
Both plant and animal matter, including bits of organic matter in soil and leaf cover.
Life Cycle
The female lays her eggs together in one place and tends them until they hatch, then cares for the nymphs until they can fend for themselves.
The nymphs are like smaller versions of the parents, but have no wings. As the nymphs near adulthood, the developing wings can be seen on the thorax, becoming fully developed, functional wings at the last molt.
Remarks
While some can become minor pests by eating fruits and vegetables, their voracious appetite for insects and other invertebrates (most notably ground-dwelling termites) usually far outbalances their negative impact.