Forficula auricularia
| Forficula auricularia | |
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Dermaptera |
| Family: | Forficulidae |
| Genus: | Forficula |
| Species: | F. auricularia |
| Binomial name | |
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Forficula auricularia Linnaeus, 1758 |
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Forficula auricularia, the common earwig or European earwig, is an omnivorous insect in the family Forficulidae. The European earwig survives in a variety of environments and is a common household insect in North America. The name earwig comes from the appearance of the hindwings, which are unique and distinctive among insects, and resemble a human ear when unfolded; the species name of the common earwig, auricularia, is a specific reference to this feature. However, they are considered a pest because of the damage they do to crops, their frightening appearance, their ability to fly (which they rarely use), foul odor, and tendency to invade crevices in homes and consume pantry foodstuffs.
Forficula auricularia is reddish brown in color, with a flattened and elongate body, and slender, beaded antennae. An obvious feature of earwigs is the pair of 'pincers' or forceps at the tip of the flexible abdomen. Both sexes have these pincers; in males they are large and very curved, whereas in females they are straight. Nymphs are similar to adults in appearance, but their wings are either absent or small
Forficula auricularia has an elongated flattened brownish colored body, with a shield-shaped pronotum, two pairs of wings and a pair of forcep-like cerci. They are about 12–15 mm long. The second tarsal segment is lobed, extending distally below the third tarsal segment. The antenna consists of 11–14 segments, and the mouth parts are of the chewing type.
Adult males are polymorphic in body weight and head width, as well as cercus length and width. The male forceps are very robust and broadened basally with teeth. The female forceps are about 3 mm long, and are less robust and straighter. The cerci are used during mating, feeding, and self-defense. Females also have tegmina of about 2 mm in length. Third instar or older nymphs that have lost one branch of cerci are capable of regenerating it in form of a straight structure. Males with asymmetrical forceps are called gynandromorphs or hermaphrodites because they resemble females.
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Wikipedia