Order Dermaptera - Earwigs

Pincher Bugs

Dermaptera = "skin wings" Refers to the leathery texture of the forewings.

Earwig is from Old English eár-wicga="ear-insect" (blatta [cockroach] is given as the Latin translation for wicga in at least one ancient document, though it generally meant earwig). The theory that "earwig" comes from "ear wing" is incorrect: the word "wing" comes from Old Norse, and is apparently not found in Old English at all.

Partridge (Origins--A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, 1958) gives the meaning of Old English wicga as beetle or worm, and mentions that folklore has it that the insect creeps into the human ear.

Over 1000 earwig species worldwide, with about 20 species in North America.

Nomina Nearctica lists 4 families:

More recent sources include 2 more families that Nearctica missed:

6-35 mm long

Earwigs have slender, flattened bodies with bead-like antennae, and are easily recognized by the pair of large pincers (cerci) at the tip of their abdomens.

Adult males have 10 abdominal segments (the pincers are one segment), while the females have 8.

Earwigs tend to hide under debris during the day, but feed on plants, organic matter, and smaller insects at night.

Plants, organic matter, other small insects (some are almost exclusively carnivorous). Earwigs are often important in controlling soil pests.

Simple metamorphosis with visible changes including increasing antennal segments and progressive wing development until sexual maturity. The mother cares for the eggs and nymphs.

Earwigs were thought to crawl into people's ears at night, however this is an unfounded superstition.

Earwigs are considered harmless to people, though they may emit a foul smelling liquid when disturbed. Larger earwigs might use their abdominal "pincers" to "bite" someone, but no venom is present. Though potentially unpleasant and perhaps disconcerting, no harm is done.

Because earwigs hide during the day in dark places, they often get transported along with the object they hide in, and are easily overlooked. Most of our species are introduced, and new ones are constantly showing up.