The
European earwig is an immigrated from
Europe to the eastern United States
around 1907. After a few decades, they
made their way west.
The European earwig, the most common and
abundant of earwig species, is about
5/8" long, brown, and has a reddish
head. Young earwigs are similar in
appearance to adults except that they
are smaller in size. A distinctive
feature of the insect is the pair of
prominent forceps at the rear of the
body.
Earwigs are elongated flattened insects,
with long slender antennae, short
leathery wings (which are not
noticeable) and strong mobile, moveable
forceps at the end of the abdomen. They
have the ability to fly and most
frequently do so in the spring. Males
have large forceps with a pronounced
curve, while females have somewhat
smaller and more parallel ones. The
forceps are used defensively and during
courtship. Despite the commonly held
perception that earwigs inflict a pinch
or a bite with their forceps, they do
not.
Female earwigs lay eggs in small
underground chambers, and when they
hatch, she tends the young. One or two
broods are raised per year.
Earwigs are found both inside and
outside. They are nocturnal insects and
prefer dark, moist areas. During the
day, earwigs will hide in any dark and
confined space. Indoors, they are known
to hide under potted plants, in
newspaper stacks, stinky shoes, and
under rugs. Outdoors, they will hide
under logs, rocks, stacked wood, and
other kinds of debris.
Earwigs generally feed at night on
decaying or living vegetable matter, and
can attack many kinds of healthy plants.
Earwigs can be serious garden pests,
particularly in coastal areas and damp
suburban habitats. They are known to
feed on new growth on many types of
plants including fruits and vegetables.
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