Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Family Anisolabididae

Scurrying across the floor - Euborellia arcanum - female Maritime Earwig? - Anisolabis maritima - male Maritime Earwig - Anisolabis maritima Ring-legged Earwig - Euborellia annulipes Unidentified Insect 9-8-13 - Euborellia Earwig/Rove Beetle? - Anisolabis maritima Earwig Earwig - Euborellia
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Dermaptera (Earwigs)
Family Anisolabididae
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
=Carcinophoridae (e.g., in(1)(2))
Explanation of Names
Anisolabididae Verhoeff 1902
Numbers
8 spp. in 3 genera in our area, all in the nominate subfamily: Euborellia (6 spp.), Anisolabis & Gonolabis (1 sp. each)(2); ~400 spp. in 36 genera worldwide, arranged into 10 subfamilies(3)
Identification
Chelisocidae and Forficulidae have the middle of the three segments on the "feet" extending under the last segment (the "toes"), with Chelisocidae also having a dense brush of hairs underneath and the Forficulidae having the middle segment also wider than the last.
In males, the right pincer is noticeably more bent inward more than the left one:

The name Anisolabis refers to this trait.
The two most common NA members of the family are wingless, but the African Earwig may be fully winged.
Range
One sp. widespread on sea coasts, one widespread across e. US and from BC to CA & AZ; 4 restricted to FL, and 2 to the southwest (AZ & CA)(4)(2)