Stats

Lifespan: About 1 yr
Size: Small
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate woodland
Range: Europe
Movement: Walking
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Uncommon

About

The European earwig is instantly recognisable by the forceps-like cerci at its tail — males have curved pincers, females straight ones — which they use for defence and to fold their surprisingly large hindwings. Unusually for insects, females guard and lick their egg clutches to prevent fungal infection.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2.
juvenile
An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3.
subadult
A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4.
adult
Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Dermaptera
Family: Forficulidae
Genus: Forficula
Species: Forficula auricularia