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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Earwigs (Dermaptera) » Little Earwigs (Spongiphoridae) » Labia » Lesser Earwig (Labia minor)

Species Labia minor - Lesser Earwig

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Remarks · Works Cited

Dermaptera, ventral, male cerci - Labia minor - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Dermaptera (Earwigs)

Family Spongiphoridae (Little Earwigs)

Genus Labia

Species minor (Lesser Earwig)

Other Common Names

Small Earwig(1), Little Earwig

Explanation of Names

Labia minor (Linnaeus 1758)

minor = 'smaller, lesser'

Size

BL including forceps rarely exceeds 7 mm(1); 4-7 mm(2)

Identification

Small, pubescent all over the body & appendages, tan-colored, easily flying; female with forceps closed may look like a rove beetle (Staphylinidae)(1)

Male forceps symmetrical, with several small teeth internally:

Female:

Range

North and south temperate zones around the world; widespread in NA and ranges farther north (into BC & PQ) than any other earwig(1)

L. minor is very likely an established adventive species. However, records to document this are very poor and, if truly introduced, then it became established and widespread a very long time ago. The first US record I know of is from around 1838, but it was likely already here for some time prior to that. Given its ubiquity and long history in the Nearctic (and other areas of the world), it is now effectively 'native' everywhere. (M.S. Engel, pers. comm. to =v= 21.v.2010)

Habitat

Around manure and on flowers; often numerous under debris and manure taken in flight or at lights(1)(3)

Food

Manure maggots(1), decaying plant material

Remarks

Uses its forceps to comb out the wings(1) (video)

NB: searching for "Labia minor" is possibly NSFO (not safe for office), so add the word 'Dermaptera' to your search...

Works Cited

1.	The Earwigs of California (Order Dermaptera) R.L. Langston & J.A. Powell. 1975. Bull. Calif. Insect Surv. 20: 1-25.

2.	Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects Norman F. Johnson, Charles A. Triplehorn. 2004. Brooks Cole.

3.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.

Contributed by Brad Barnd on 17 July, 2007 - 8:56pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 18 August, 2014 - 2:36pm

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