View source for Earwig

{{short description|Order of insects}}
{{Other uses}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Dermaptera|Dermoptera}}
{{Distinguish|Earworm}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Earwig
| fossil_range = {{Fossilrange|208|0}} [[Late Triassic]] to Recent
| image = Earwig on white background.jpg
| image_caption = Female common earwig, ''[[Forficula auricularia]]''
| display_parents = 2
| taxon = Dermaptera
| authority = [[Charles De Geer|De Geer]], 1773
| subdivision_ranks = Suborders
| subdivision = * [[extinction|†]][[Archidermaptera]]
*Pandermaptera
** [[extinction|†]][[Eodermaptera]]
** [[Neodermaptera]]
| synonyms = * Euplecoptera
* Euplexoptera
* Forficulida
}}

'''Earwigs''' make up the [[insect]] [[order (biology)|order]] '''Dermaptera'''.  With about 2,000 [[species]]<ref>{{cite journal |author=Zhang, Z.-Q. |title=Phylum Arthropoda von Siebold, 1848 In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness |journal=Zootaxa |volume=3148 |year=2011 |pages=99–103 |url=http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/zt03148p103.pdf |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3148.1.14 |access-date=16 January 2012 |archive-date=23 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723234319/https://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/zt03148p103.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> in 12 [[Family (biology)|families]], they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic [[cercus|cerci]], a pair of [[forceps]]-like [[pincer (biology)|pincer]]s on their [[abdomen]], and membranous wings folded underneath short, rarely used forewings, hence the scientific order name, "skin wings". Some groups are tiny parasites on mammals and lack the typical pincers. Earwigs are found on all continents except [[Antarctica]].

Earwigs are mostly [[nocturnal]] and often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night, feeding on a wide variety of insects and plants. Damage to foliage, flowers, and various crops is commonly blamed on earwigs, especially the common earwig ''[[Forficula auricularia]].''

Earwigs have five [[ecdysis|molts]] in the year before they become adults. Many earwig species display maternal care, which is uncommon among insects. Female earwigs may care for their eggs; the ones that do will continue to watch over [[nymph (biology)|nymph]]s until their second molt. As the nymphs molt, [[sexual dimorphism]] such as differences in pincer shapes begins to show.

Extant Dermaptera belong to the suborder [[Neodermaptera]], which first appeared during the [[Cretaceous]]. Some earwig specimen fossils are placed with extinct suborders [[Archidermaptera]] or [[Eodermaptera]], the former dating to the [[Late Triassic]] and the latter to the Middle Jurassic. Dermaptera belongs to the major grouping [[Polyneoptera]], and are amongst the earliest diverging members of the group, alongside angel insects ([[Zoraptera]]), and stoneflies ([[Plecoptera]]), but the exact relationship among the three groups is uncertain.

== Etymology ==
[[File:Earwig description.svg|thumb|right|200px|Earwig diagram with wings extended and closed]]
[[File:Earwig - kanagawa Japan - 2025 Feb 28.webm|thumb|200px|An earwig crawling on wood]]
The [[Biological classification|scientific name]] for the order, ''Dermaptera'', is [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] in origin, stemming from the words {{Transliteration|grc|derma}}, meaning {{gloss|skin}}, and {{Transliteration|grc|pteron}} (plural {{Transliteration|grc|ptera}}), meaning {{gloss|wing}}. It was coined by [[Charles De Geer|Charles De&nbsp;Geer]] in 1773. The common term, ''earwig,'' is derived from the [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|ēare}}, which means {{gloss|ear}}, and {{lang|ang|wicga}}, which means {{gloss|insect}}, or literally, {{gloss|[[beetle]]}}.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jeeGAAAAQBAJ&q=Earwig&pg=PA187 |title=An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language |first=Walter W. | last=Skeat |year=2013 |publisher=Courier Corporation |isbn=978-0-486-31765-6 |page=187 |access-date=31 October 2020 |archive-date=9 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004309/https://books.google.com/books?id=jeeGAAAAQBAJ&q=Earwig&pg=PA187 |url-status=live }}</ref> Entomologists suggest that the origin of the name is a reference to the appearance of the hindwings, which are unique and distinctive among insects, and resemble a human ear when unfolded.<ref>{{cite book|last=Costa|first=J.T.|title=The Other Insect Societies|publisher=Harvard University Press|location=United States, Harvard University|date=2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ento.csiro.au/education/insects/dermaptera.html|title=Dermaptera: earwigs|publisher=[[CSIRO]]|work=Insects and their Allies|access-date=16 November 2015|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924001320/http://www.ento.csiro.au/education/insects/dermaptera.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The name is more popularly thought to be related to the [[old wives' tale]] that earwigs burrowed into the brains of humans through the ear and laid their eggs there.<ref>{{cite book|last=Friedrichsen|first=G W S |author2=Robert W Burchfield|title=The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology|editor= Onions CT|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=United Kingdom, Oxford University|date=31 December 1966|edition=1996 |pages=earwig|isbn=978-0-19-861112-7}}</ref> Earwigs are not known to purposefully climb into ear canals, but there has been at least one anecdotal report of earwigs being found in the ear.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Fisher |first=JR |title=Earwig in the ear|journal=Western Journal of Medicine |year=1986|volume=145|issue=2|page=245|pmid=3765607|pmc=1306897 }}</ref>

==Distribution==
[[File:Adiathetus tenebrator iruppu.jpg|thumb|200px|right|An earwig from the [[Western Ghats]]]]
Earwigs are abundant and can be found throughout the [[Americas]] and [[Eurasia]]. The common earwig was introduced into North America in 1907 from Europe, but tends to be more common in the southern and southwestern parts of the United States.<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|739}} The only native species of earwig found in the north of the United States is the [[Doru aculeatum|spine-tailed earwig]] (''Doru aculeatum''),<ref name="Robinson">{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=William H.|title=Urban Insects and Arachnids: A Handbook of Urban Entomology|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge, UK|year=2005|page=144|isbn=978-0-521-81253-5|url=http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521812534|access-date=28 November 2009|archive-date=17 May 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517084501/http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521812534|url-status=live}}</ref> found as far north as Canada, where it hides in the leaf axils of emerging plants in southern [[Ontario]] [[wetland]]s. However, other families can be found in North America, including [[Forficulidae]] (''[[Doru (earwig)|Doru]]'' and ''[[Forficula]]'' being found there), [[Spongiphoridae]], [[Anisolabididae]], and [[Labiduridae]].<ref name="Marshall">{{cite book|last=Marshall|first=Stephan A.|title=Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America |publisher=Firefly Books|location=Buffalo, NY; Richmond Hill, Ontario|date=June 2006|pages=63–64|chapter=4|isbn=978-1-55297-900-6}}</ref>

Few earwigs survive winter outdoors in cold climates. They can be found in tight crevices in woodland, fields and gardens.<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|739}}<ref name="CSU">{{cite web|url=http://www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/insect/05533.html|title=European Earwigs|last=Cranshaw|first=W.S.|date=January 2007|work=5.533|publisher=Colorado State University|access-date=25 June 2009|archive-date=27 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090727135749/http://www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/insect/05533.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Out of about 1,800 species, about 25 occur in North America, 45 in Europe (including 7 in Great Britain), and 60 in Australia.<ref name="gillott"/>

==Morphology==
[[File:Earwigmorph.jpg|thumb|350px|Male earwig, external morphology. Click on image for a larger view]]
Most earwigs are flattened (which allows them to fit inside tight crevices, such as under bark) with an elongated body generally {{convert|7|-|50|mm|in|frac=4}} long.<ref name="gillott">{{cite book |last=Gillott |first=Cedric |title=Entomology |url=https://archive.org/details/entomology00cgil |url-access=limited |publisher=Springer |location=Dordrecht |year=2005 |edition=3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/entomology00cgil/page/n186 175]–179 |isbn=978-1-4020-3184-7}}</ref> The largest [[Extant taxon|extant]] species is the Australian giant earwig (''[[Titanolabis]] colossea'') which is approximately {{convert|50|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} long,<ref>{{cite book|last=Flindt|first=Rainer |title=Amazing Numbers in Biology |publisher=Springer| year=2006 |isbn=978-3-540-30146-2}}</ref>{{Rp|10}} while the possibly extinct (declared extinct in 2014) [[Saint Helena earwig]] (''Labidura herculeana'') reached {{convert|78|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=St Helena giant earwig ''Labidura herculeana'' |publisher=[[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]] |year=2013 |url=http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/life-sciences/terrestrial-invertebrates/organisms/insects/orthopteroid-insects/interesting-species/st-helena-giant-earwig/index.html |access-date=25 May 2013 |archive-date=21 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521142923/http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/life-sciences/terrestrial-invertebrates/organisms/insects/orthopteroid-insects/interesting-species/st-helena-giant-earwig/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Earwigs are characterized by the [[cercus|cerci]], or the pair of [[forceps]]-like pincers on their abdomen; male earwigs generally have more curved pincers than females. These pincers are used to capture prey, defend themselves and fold their wings under the short [[Tegmen|tegmina]].<ref name="EvolutionoftheInsects" /> The [[Antenna (biology)|antennae]] are thread-like with at least 10 segments.<ref name="International Wildlife">{{cite book|last=Burton|first=Maurice|title=International Wildlife Encyclopedia|publisher=Marshall Cavendish Inc|date=January 2001|edition=3|isbn=978-0-7614-7266-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0gsPc5lk7_UC&q=earwig|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=9 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004302/https://books.google.com/books?id=0gsPc5lk7_UC&q=earwig|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Rp|738–739}}

Males in the six families Karschiellidae, Pygidicranidae, Diplatyidae, Apachyidae, Anisolabisidae and Labiduridae have paired penises, while the males in the remaining groups have a single penis. Both penises are symmetrical in Pygidicranidae and Diplatyidae, but in Karschiellidae the left one is strongly reduced. Apachyidae, Anisolabisidae, and Labiduridae have an asymmetrical pair, with left and right one pointing on opposite directions when not in use. The females have just a single genital opening, so only one of the paired penises is ever used during copulation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Arthropod-Systematics-Phylogeny_72_0011-0021.pdf|title=Mating and genital coupling in the primitive earwig species Echinosoma denticulatum (Pygidicranidae): implications for genital evolution in dermapteran phylogeny}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/half-of-these-earwigs-use-their-right-penis-the-other-half-use-their-left-penis-why-180978927/|title=Half of These Earwigs Use Their Right Penis. The Other Half Use Their Left Penis. Why?|first1=Smithsonian|last1=Magazine|first2=Brad|last2=Balukjian|website=Smithsonian Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article/97/5/903/63008?login=false|title=In Search of the Origin of Twin Penises: Molecular Phylogeny of Earwigs (Dermaptera: Forficulina) Based on Mitochondrial and Nuclear Ribosomal RNA Genes|first=Y|last=Kamimura|date=1 September 2004|journal=Annals of the Entomological Society of America|volume=97|issue=5|pages=903–912|via=Silverchair|doi=10.1603/0013-8746(2004)097[0903:ISOTOO]2.0.CO;2|doi-access=free}}</ref>
[[File:Earwig wing cutted.png|thumb|Earwig with right wing open]]
The forewings are short oblong leathery plates used to cover the hindwings like the [[elytra]] of a beetle, rather than to fly. Most species have short and leather-like forewings with very thin hindwings, though species in the former suborders [[Arixeniina]] and [[Hemimerina]] (epizoic species, sometimes considered as ectoparasites<ref>{{cite book|last=Carpenter|first=George Herbert|title=Insects: their structure & life|publisher=J. M. & Co.|location=London|year=1899|pages=170–172|chapter=4|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yxMXAAAAYAAJ&q=earwig+wings&pg=PA170|access-date=31 October 2020|archive-date=9 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004302/https://books.google.com/books?id=yxMXAAAAYAAJ&q=earwig+wings&pg=PA170|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The other insect societies">{{cite book|last=T. Costa|first=James|others=Foreword by Bert Hölldobler and commentary by Edward O. Wilson|title=The other insect societies|publisher=Harvard University Press|location=Harvard University|date=May 2006|edition=1|pages=53–54|chapter=3|isbn=978-0-674-02163-1|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PYRFDrZs9QAC&q=Arixeniina&pg=PA53|access-date=31 October 2020|archive-date=9 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004311/https://books.google.com/books?id=PYRFDrZs9QAC&q=Arixeniina&pg=PA53|url-status=live}}</ref>) are wingless and blind with filiform segmented cerci (today these are both included merely as families in the suborder Neodermaptera).<ref name="gillott"/><ref name="gullan">{{cite book|last=Gullan|first=P.J.|author2=P.S. Cranston|title=The Insects: An Outline of Entomology|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|location=Oxford|year=2005|edition=3|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781405111133/page/235 235]|chapter=9 - Ground Dwelling Insects|isbn=978-1-4051-1113-3|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E_6-pGOLUgcC&q=earwig|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781405111133/page/235}}</ref><ref name="NC-IPM">{{cite web|url=http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG268/html/earwigs.htm|title=Earwigs|work=North Carolina Integrated Pest Management Information|access-date=20 July 2009|archive-date=27 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627131017/http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG268/html/earwigs.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The hindwing is a very thin membrane that expands like a fan, radiating from one point folded under the forewing. Even though most earwigs have wings and are capable of flight, they are rarely seen in flight. These wings are unique in venation and in the pattern of folding that requires the use of the cerci.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia|volume=46|pages=67–72|year=2003|title=The evolution of wing folding and flight in the Dermaptera (Insecta)|author=Haas, Fabian|url=http://www.isez.pan.krakow.pl/journals/azc_i/pdf/46%28suppl%29/08.pdf|access-date=1 December 2009|archive-date=26 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726075757/http://www.isez.pan.krakow.pl/journals/azc_i/pdf/46(suppl)/08.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Internal===
<!-- This section is a duplicate of a section in the article on Insect Morphology. Changes made here should also be made there. -->
The [[Neuroendocrinology|neuroendocrine system]] is typical of insects. There is a brain, a subesophageal [[ganglion]], three thoracic ganglia, and six abdominal ganglia. Strong neuron connections connect the [[Corpus cardiacum|neurohemal corpora cardiaca]] to the brain and frontal ganglion, where the closely related [[corpus allatum|median corpus allatum]] produces juvenile hormone III in close proximity to the neurohemal dorsal arota. The digestive system of earwigs is like all other insects, consisting of a fore-, mid-, and hindgut, but earwigs lack gastric caecae which are specialized for digestion in many species of insect. Long, slender (excretory) [[malpighian tubules]] can be found between the junction of the mid- and hind gut.<ref name="Resh & Carde">{{cite book |last1=Powell |first1=Jerry A. |editor2-last=Cardé|editor2-first=Ring T.|editor1-first=Vincent H. |editor1-last=Resh |title=Encyclopedia of Insects |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediainse00resh_059 |url-access=limited |edition=illustrated 2nd |year=2009 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12-374144-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediainse00resh_059/page/n1168 1132] |chapter=Dermaptera}}</ref>

The reproductive system of females consist of paired [[ovary|ovarie]]s, [[oviduct|lateral oviduct]]s, [[spermatheca]], and a [[sex organ|genital chamber]]. The lateral ducts are where the eggs leave the body, while the spermatheca is where sperm is stored. Unlike other insects, the [[gonopore]], or genital opening is behind the seventh abdominal segment. The ovaries are primitive in that they are polytrophic (the [[nurse cell]]s and [[oocyte]]s alternate along the length of the [[ovariole]]). In some species these long ovarioles branch off the lateral duct, while in others, short ovarioles appear around the duct.<ref name="Resh & Carde"/>

==Life cycle and reproduction==
[[File:Earwig life cycle upwards.svg|thumb|right|100px|The life cycle and development of a male earwig from egg to each [[instar]]]]
Earwigs are [[hemimetabolous]], meaning they undergo incomplete metamorphosis, developing through a series of four to six [[molt]]s. The developmental stages between molts are called [[instar]]s. Earwigs live for about a year from hatching. They start mating in the autumn, and can be found together in the autumn and winter. The male and female will live in a chamber in debris, crevices, or soil {{convert|2.5|cm|in|0}} deep.<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|739}} After mating, the sperm may remain in the female for months before the eggs are fertilized. From midwinter to early spring, the male will leave, or be driven out by the female. Afterward the female will begin to lay 20 to 80 pearly white [[Egg (biology)|eggs]] in two days. Some earwigs, those parasitic in the suborders [[Arixeniina]] and [[Hemimerina]], are [[viviparous]] (give birth to live young); they would be fed by a sort of [[placenta]].<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|739–740}}<ref name="gullan"/> When first laid, the eggs are white or cream-colored and oval-shaped, but right before hatching they become kidney-shaped and brown.<ref name="Ohio">{{cite web|url=http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2068.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080822133948/http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2068.html|archive-date=22 August 2008|title=Earwigs, HYG-2068-94|work=Ohio State University|access-date=20 July 2009 }}</ref> Each egg is approximately {{Convert|1|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on}} tall and {{Convert|0.8|mm|in|frac=64|abbr=on}} wide.<ref name="NC-IPM"/>

Earwigs are among the few non-social insect species that show maternal care. The mother pays close attention to the needs of her eggs, such as warmth and protection.<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|739–740}}<ref name="gullan"/> She faithfully defends the eggs from predators, not leaving them even to eat unless the clutch goes bad.<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|740}} She also continuously cleans the eggs to protect them from [[fungi]]. Studies have found that the urge to clean the eggs persists for only a few days after they are removed, and does not return even if the eggs are replaced; however, when the eggs were continuously replaced after hatching, the mother continued to clean the new eggs for up to three months.<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|740}}

Studies have also shown that the mother does not immediately recognize her own eggs. After laying them, she gathers them together, and studies have found mothers to pick up small egg-shaped wax balls or stones by accident. Eventually, the impostor eggs were rejected for not having the proper scent.<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|740}}

<gallery class="center" widths="180px" heights="180px">
File:Nesting Earwig Chester UK 1.jpg|Female earwig in her nest, with eggs
File:Nesting Earwig Chester UK 2.jpg|Female earwig in her nest with newly hatched young
</gallery>

The eggs hatch in about seven days. The mother may assist the nymphs in hatching. When the nymphs hatch, they eat the egg casing and continue to live with the mother. The nymphs look similar to their parents, only smaller, and will nest under their mother and she will continue to protect them until their second molt. The nymphs feed on food [[trophallaxis|regurgitated]] by the mother,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Maternal Food Regurgitation to Nymphs in Earwigs (Forficula auricularia)|author1=Staerkle M|author2=M Koelliker|doi=10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01526.x|journal=Ethology|volume=114|year=2008|pages=844–850|url=http://evolution.unibas.ch/koelliker/pdf/Staerkle_Ethology2008.pdf|issue=9|bibcode=2008Ethol.114..844S |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707004342/http://evolution.unibas.ch/koelliker/pdf/Staerkle_Ethology2008.pdf|archive-date=7 July 2011}}</ref> and on their own molts. If the mother dies before the nymphs are ready to leave, the nymphs [[Matriphagy|may eat]] her.<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|740}}<ref>{{cite journal| title=Matriphagy in the hump earwig, Anechura harmandi (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), increases the survival rates of the offspring|author1=Suzuki, S. |author2=Kitamura M. |author3=Matsubayashi, K. |journal= Journal of Ethology| year=2005| volume =23| issue=2| pages=211–213| doi=10.1007/s10164-005-0145-7|s2cid=26557397 }}</ref>

After five to six [[instars]], the nymphs will molt into adults. The male's forceps will become curved, while the females' forceps remain straight. They will also develop their natural color, which can be anything from a light brown (as in the [[tawny earwig]]) to a dark black (as in the [[ringlegged earwig]]). In species of winged earwigs, the wings will start to develop at this time. The forewings of an earwig are sclerotized to serve as protection for the membranous hindwings.

==Behavior==
Most earwigs are nocturnal and inhabit small crevices, living in small amounts of debris, in various forms such as bark and fallen logs. Species have been found to be blind and living in caves, or cavernicolous, reported to be found on the island of Hawaii and in South Africa. Food typically consists of a wide array of living and dead plant and animal matter.<ref name="Resh & Carde"/> For protection from predators, the species ''[[Doru taeniatum]]'' of earwigs can squirt foul-smelling yellow liquid in the form of jets from scent glands on the dorsal side of the third and fourth abdominal segment. It aims the discharges by revolving the abdomen, a maneuver that enables it simultaneously to use its pincers in defense.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Eisner |first1=Thomas |year=1941 |title=Chemical defense of an earwig (Doru taeniatum) |journal=Chemoecology |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=81–87 |url=http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-preview.axd?code=f2v6d8nxev8qu6tv&size=largest |doi=10.1007/s000490050011 |access-date=25 February 2011 |last2=Rossini |first2=Carmen |last3=Eisner |first3=Maria |s2cid=32523264 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714075450/http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-preview.axd?code=f2v6d8nxev8qu6tv&size=largest |archive-date=14 July 2011 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
Under exceptional circumstances, earwigs form swarms and can take over significant areas of a district. In August 1755 they appeared in vast numbers near Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, especially in the cracks and crevices of "old wooden buildings...so that they dropped out oftentimes in such multitudes as to literally cover the floor".<ref>Cowan, Frank, ''The Project Gutenberg EBook of Curious Facts in the History of Insects; Including Spiders and Scorpions'', 1865, EBook issue 15 December 2012, [https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41625/41625-h/41625-h.htm#Forficulidae_Ear-wigs] (citing ''Gentleman's Magazine'', Aug. 1855, vol xxv, p. 376.) Accessed 1 September 2021</ref> A similar "plague" occurred in 2006, in and around a woodland cabin near the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] of the eastern United States; it persisted through winter and lasted at least two years.<ref>Kevin Hathorne, ''Earwig invasion mystery'', Pest Management Professional, [https://www.mypmp.net/2018/10/03/earwig-invasion-mystery/] (specialist trade journal) accessed 1 September 2021</ref>

==Ecology==
Earwigs are mostly scavengers, but some are omnivorous or predatory.<ref name="International Wildlife"/>{{Rp|739–740}} The abdomen of the earwig is flexible and muscular. It is capable of maneuvering as well as opening and closing the forceps. The forceps are used for a variety of purposes. In some species, the forceps have been observed in use for holding [[prey]], and in [[copulation (zoology)|copulation]]. The forceps tend to be more curved in males than in females.<ref name="Field Guide to Texas Insects">{{cite web|url=http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg31.html|title=Earwig|last1=Drees|first1=B.M.|first2=John|last2=Jackman|year=1999|work=Field Guide to Texas Insects|publisher=Gulf Publishing Company|page=1|access-date=15 November 2009|location=Houston|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612072149/http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg31.html|archive-date=12 June 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Forficula.auricularia.-.lindsey.jpg|thumb|left|A male of ''[[Forficula auricularia]]'' feeding on flowers]]
The [[common earwig]] is an omnivore, eating plants and ripe fruit as well as actively hunting [[arthropod]]s. To a large extent, this species is also a scavenger, feeding on decaying plant and animal matter if given the chance. Observed prey include largely plant lice, but also large insects such as [[blue bottle fly|bluebottle flies]] and [[Eriosomatinae|woolly aphids]].<ref name="CSU"/> Plants that they feed on typically include [[clover]], [[dahlia]]s, [[zinnia]]s, [[Buddleia|butterfly bush]], [[hollyhock]], [[lettuce]], [[cauliflower]], [[strawberry]], [[blackberry]], [[sunflowers]], [[celery]], [[peach]]es, [[plum]]s, [[grapes]], [[potato]]es, [[rose]]s, seedling [[bean]]s and [[beet]]s, and tender [[grass]] shoots and roots; they have also been known to eat [[maize|corn silk]], damaging the crop.<ref name="Predator">{{cite journal|last=Weiss|first=Michael J.|author2=Garrick McDonald|year=1998|title=European earwig, ''Forficula auriculari'' L. (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), as a predator of the redlegged earth mite, ''Halotydeus destructor'' (Tucker) (Acarina: Penthaleidae)|journal=Australian Journal of Entomology|volume=37|pages=183–185|doi=10.1111/j.1440-6055.1998.tb01569.x|issue=2}}</ref>

Species of the suborders [[Arixeniina]] and [[Hemimerina]] are generally considered epizoic, or living on the outside of other [[animal]]s, mainly mammals. In the [[Arixeniina]], family [[Arixeniidae]], species of the genus ''[[Arixenia]]'' are normally found deep in the skin folds and gular pouch of [[Hairless Bat|Malaysian hairless bulldog bats]] (''Cheiromeles torquatus''), apparently feeding on bats' body or glandular secretions. On the other hand, species in the genus ''[[Xeniaria]]'' (still of the suborder Arixeniina) are believed to feed on the [[guano]] and possibly the guanophilous arthropods in the bat's roost, where it has been found. [[Hemimerina]] includes ''[[Araeomerus]]'' found in the nest of [[Beamys|long-tailed pouch rats]] (''Beamys''), and ''[[Hemimerus]]'' which are found on giant ''[[Cricetomys]]'' rats.<ref name="The other insect societies"/><ref>{{cite journal|title=A review of the parasitic earwigs|year=1974|author1=Nakata, Satsuko|author2=TC Maa|journal=Pacific Insects|volume=16|pages=307–374|url=http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pi/pdf/16%282%29-307.pdf|access-date=28 November 2009|archive-date=21 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821200216/http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pi/pdf/16(2)-307.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Earwigs are generally [[nocturnal]], and typically hide in small, dark, and often moist areas in the daytime. They can usually be seen on household walls and ceilings. Interaction with earwigs at this time results in a defensive free-fall to the ground followed by a scramble to a nearby cleft or crevice.<ref name="Field Guide to Texas Insects"/> During the summer they can be found around damp areas such as near sinks and in bathrooms. Earwigs tend to gather in shady cracks or openings or anywhere that they can remain concealed during daylight. Picnic tables, compost and waste bins, patios, lawn furniture, window frames, or anything with minute spaces (even [[artichoke]] blossoms) can potentially harbour them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://urbanext.illinois.edu/bugreview/earwigs.html|last=Grupp|first=Susan M.|author2=Philip L. Nixon|title=The Bug Review-Earwigs|publisher=Extension Entomologist, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|page=1|access-date=15 November 2009|archive-date=7 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207054158/http://urbanext.illinois.edu/bugreview/earwigs.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Predators and parasites===
Earwigs are regularly preyed upon by birds, and like many other insect species they are prey for insectivorous mammals, amphibians, lizards, centipedes, assassin bugs, and spiders.<ref name="Arnold, Richard A 2001">Arnold, Richard A. "Earwigs." ''Endangered Wildlife and Plants of the World.'' Vol. 4. Eds. Anne Hildyard, Paul Thompson and Amy Prior. (Tarrytown, New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2001) 497.</ref> European naturalists have observed bats preying upon earwigs.<ref name="Arnold, Richard A 2001" /> Their primary insect predators are parasitic species of [[Tachinidae]], or tachinid flies, whose larvae are [[endoparasite]]s. One species of tachinid fly, ''[[Triarthria setipennis]]'', has been demonstrated to be successful as a biological control of earwigs for almost a century.<ref>Dimick, R.E. and Mote, D.C. (1934) Progress report regarding the introduction in Oregon of ''Digonocheata setipennis'', a tachinid parasite of the European earwig. ''Journal of Economic Entomology'' 27, 863–865.</ref><ref>Clausen, C.P. (1978) Dermaptera – Forficulidae – European Earwig. In: Clausen, C.P. (ed.) ''Introduced Parasites and Predators of Arthropod Pests and Weeds: A World Review'', Handbook No. 480, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, pp. 15–18.</ref> Another tachinid fly and parasite of earwigs, ''Ocytata pallipes'', has shown promise as a biological control agent as well.<ref>Kuhlmann, Ulrich. (26 Aug 2009) "Ocytata pallipes (Fallén) (Dipt., Tachinidae), a potential agent for the biological control of the European earwig." ''Journal of Applied Entomology'', Vol. 117, Issue 1–5, pp. 262–267.</ref> The common predatory wasp, the [[yellow jacket]] (''Vespula maculifrons''), preys upon earwigs when abundant.<ref>Kurczewski, Frank E. "Vespula maculifrons (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Preying on the European Earwig Forficula auricularia." ''Journal of the New York Entomological Society'', Vol. 76, No. 2 (Jun., 1968), pp. 84–86.</ref> A small species of roundworm, ''[[Mermis nigrescens]]'', is known to occasionally parasitize earwigs that have consumed roundworm eggs with plant matter.<ref>Marshall, Judith A. "Dermaptera: the earwigs." ''Identifying British Insects and Arachnids: An Annotated Bibliography of Key Works.'' ed. Peter C. Barnard. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999) 40.</ref> At least 26 species of parasitic fungus from the order [[Laboulbeniales]] have been found on earwigs.<ref>Shanor, Leland. "The Characteristics and Morphology of a New Genus of the Laboulbeniales on an Earwig." ''American Journal of Botany'', Vol. 39, No. 7 (Jul. 1952), pp. 498–504.</ref> The eggs and nymphs are also cannibalized by other earwigs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN245|title=EENY088/IN245: Ringlegged Earwig, Euborellia annulipes (Lucas) (Insecta: Dermaptera: Carcinophoridae)|last=Capinera|first=John L.|date=June 1999|publisher=Entomology and Nematology Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida|page=1|access-date=15 November 2009|archive-date=24 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124141756/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in245|url-status=live}}</ref> A species of tyroglyphoid mite, ''Histiostoma polypori'' ([[Histiostomatidae]], [[Astigmata]]), are observed on common earwigs, sometimes in great densities;<ref>Behura, Basanta Kumar. "The Relationships of the Tyroglyphoid Mite, Histiostoma Polypori (Oud.) with the Earwig, Forficula Auricularia Linn." ''Journal of the New York Entomological Society'', Vol. 64, (1956), pp. 85–94.</ref> however, this mite feeds on earwig cadavers and not its live earwig transportation.<ref>Wirth, S. "Necromenic life style of Histiostoma polypori (Acari: Histiostomatidae)" ''Journal Experimental and Applied Acarology,'' Volume 49, Number 4 (December, 2009) pp. 317–327.</ref> [[Hippolyte Lucas]] observed scarlet acarine mites on European earwigs.<ref>Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station. 1924. "Economic entomology." Bulletin.</ref>

==Evolution==
[[File:12862 2010 Article 1559 Fig1 HTML.webp|thumb|Fossil of ''[[Belloderma|Belloderma arcuata]]'' from the Middle Jurassic of China, a member of the extinct [[Eodermaptera]]]]
{{cladogram|align=left| caption= Earwigs and their relatives<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/j.1365-3113.2004.00276.x|title=Phylogeny of earwigs (Insecta: Dermaptera) based on molecular and morphological evidence: Reconsidering the classification of Dermaptera|journal=Systematic Entomology|volume=30|issue=3|pages=442–453|year=2005|last1=Jarvis|first1=Karl J.|last2=Haas|first2=Fabian|last3=Whiting|first3=Michael F.|bibcode=2005SysEn..30..442J |s2cid=85718043}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0066900 |title=When the Body Hides the Ancestry: Phylogeny of Morphologically Modified Epizoic Earwigs Based on Molecular Evidence |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=8 |issue=6 |article-number=e66900 |year=2013 |last1=Kocarek |first1=Petr |last2=John |first2=Vaclav |last3=Hulva |first3=Pavel |pmid=23826171 |pmc=3691250 |bibcode=2013PLoSO...866900K |doi-access=free }}</ref>

|cladogram={{clade|style=font-size:75%;line-height:75%
 |label1=
 |1={{clade
  |1=[[Phasmatodea]]
  |label2=
  |2={{clade
   |1=[[Embioptera]]
   |label2=
   |2={{clade
    |1=[[Orthoptera]]
    |label2=
    |2={{clade
     |1=[[Notoptera]]
     |label2='''Dermaptera'''
     |2={{clade
      |label1=[[extinction|†]][[Archidermaptera]]
      |1={{clade
       |1=[[extinction|†]][[Dermapteridae]]
       |2=[[extinction|†]][[Protodiplatyidae]]
      }}
      |label2=Eodermaptera
      |2={{clade
       |1=[[extinction|†]]Bellodermatidae
       |label2=
       |2={{clade
        |1=[[extinction|†]][[Semenoviolidae]]
        |2=[[extinction|†]][[Turanodermatidae]]
        |label3=[[Neodermaptera]]
        |3={{clade
         |1=Hemimerina
         |2=Arixeniina
         |3=Forficulina
        }}
       }}
      }}
     }}
    }}
   }}
  }}
 }}
}}

}}
The fossil record of the Dermaptera starts in the [[Late Triassic]] to [[Early Jurassic]] period about {{Ma|208}} in England and Australia, and comprises about 70 specimens in the extinct suborder [[Archidermaptera]]. Some of the traits believed by [[neontology|neontologists]] to belong to modern earwigs are not found in the earliest fossils, but adults had five-segmented [[arthropod leg|tarsi]] (the final segment of the leg), well developed [[ovipositor]]s, veined tegmina (forewings) and long segmented [[cercus|cerci]]; in fact the pincers would not have been curled or used as they are now.<ref name="EvolutionoftheInsects">{{cite book|last=Grimaldi|first=David|author2=Michael Engel|title=Evolution of the Insects|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge University|date=May 2005|edition=1|series=Cambridge Evolution Ser.|pages=217–222|chapter=7|isbn=978-0-521-82149-0|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ql6Jl6wKb88C&q=earwig%20related&pg=PA217|access-date=16 November 2009|archive-date=9 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004340/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ql6Jl6wKb88C&q=earwig+related&pg=PA217|url-status=live}}</ref> The theorized stem group of the Dermaptera are the [[Protelytroptera]], which are similar to modern [[Blattodea]] (cockroaches) with shell-like forewings and the large, unequal anal fan, are known from the [[Permian]] of North America, Europe and Australia. No fossils from the Triassic — during which Dermaptera would have evolved from Protelytroptera — have been found.<ref name="tolweb">{{Cite book|url=http://www.tolweb.org/Dermaptera|title=Dermaptera — Earwigs|author=Fabian Haas|publisher=Tree of Life web project|access-date=26 July 2007|archive-date=16 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716193213/http://tolweb.org/Dermaptera|url-status=live}}</ref> Amongst the most frequently suggested order of insects to be the closest relatives of Dermaptera is [[Notoptera]], theorized by Giles in 1963. However, other arguments have been made by other authors linking them to [[Phasmatodea]], [[Embioptera]], [[Plecoptera]], and [[Dictyoptera]].<ref name="gillott"/> A 2012 [[mitochondrial DNA]] study suggested that this order is the sister to stoneflies of the order [[Plecoptera]].<ref name="Wan2012">Wan X, Kim MI, Kim MJ, Kim I (2012) Complete mitochondrial genome of the free-living earwig, ''Challia fletcheri'' (Dermaptera: Pygidicranidae) and phylogeny of Polyneoptera. PLoS One 7(8):e42056.</ref> A 2018 phylogenetic analysis found that their closest living relatives were angel insects of the order [[Zoraptera]], with very high support.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Wipfler|first1=Benjamin|last2=Letsch|first2=Harald|last3=Frandsen|first3=Paul B.|last4=Kapli|first4=Paschalia|last5=Mayer|first5=Christoph|last6=Bartel|first6=Daniela|last7=Buckley|first7=Thomas R.|last8=Donath|first8=Alexander|last9=Edgerly-Rooks|first9=Janice S.|last10=Fujita|first10=Mari|last11=Liu|first11=Shanlin|date=2019-02-19|title=Evolutionary history of Polyneoptera and its implications for our understanding of early winged insects|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=116|issue=8|pages=3024–3029|doi=10.1073/pnas.1817794116|issn=0027-8424|pmc=6386694|pmid=30642969|bibcode=2019PNAS..116.3024W |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Archidermaptera is believed to be sister to the remaining earwig groups, the extinct Eodermaptera and the living suborder Neodermaptera (= former suborders Forficulina, Hemimerina, and Arixeniina). The extinct suborders have tarsi with five segments (unlike the three found in Neodermaptera) as well as unsegmented cerci. No fossil Hemimeridae and Arixeniidae are known.<ref name="Korean">{{cite journal|last1=Engel|first1=Michael A.|first2=Jong-Deock |last2=Lim |first3=Kwang-Seok |last3=Baek |first4=Larry D. |last4=Martin|year=2002|title=An Earwig from the Lower Cretaceous of Korea (Dermaptera: Forficulina)|journal=Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society|volume=75|issue=2|pages=86–90|jstor=25086049}}</ref> Species in Hemimeridae were at one time in their own order, Diploglassata, Dermodermaptera, or [[Hemimerina]]. Like most other epizoic species, there is no fossil record, but they are probably no older than [[Tertiary period|late Tertiary]].<ref name="EvolutionoftheInsects" />

Some evidence of early evolutionary history is the structure of the antennal heart, a separate [[circulatory system|circulatory organ]] consisting of two [[ampulla]]e, or vesicles,<ref name="Gordh">{{cite book|last=Gordh|first=George|author2=David H. Headrick|title=A Dictionary of Entomology|publisher=CABI Publishing|year=2003|isbn=978-0-85199-655-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HxAIAAAACAAJ&q=Dictionary+of+entomology|access-date=31 October 2020|archive-date=9 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004313/https://books.google.com/books?id=HxAIAAAACAAJ&q=Dictionary+of+entomology|url-status=live}}</ref> that are attached to the frontal cuticle near the bases of the [[Antenna (biology)|antennae]].<ref name="Pass">{{cite journal|last=Pass|first=Günther|author2=Hans Agricola |author3=Heiner Birkenbeil |author4=Heinz Penzlin |date=August 1988|title=Morphology of neurones associated with the antennal heart of ''Periplaneta americana'' (Blattodea, Insecta) |journal=Cell and Tissue Research|volume=253|issue= 2 |pages=319–326|issn=0302-766X|pmid=3409288|doi=10.1007/bf00222288|s2cid=24602483}}</ref> These features have not been found in other insects. An independent organ exists for each antenna, consisting of an [[ampulla]], attached to the frontal cuticle medial to the antenna base and forming a thin-walled sac with a valved ostium on its ventral side. They pump blood by elastic connective tissue, rather than muscle.<ref name="Earwig Circulatory System">{{cite book|last=Nation|first=James L.|publisher=CRC Press|date=28 November 2001|edition=1|page=310|chapter=11: Circulatory System|isbn=978-0-8493-1181-9|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l3v2tOvz1uQC&q=earwigs|title=Insect physiology and biochemistry|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=9 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004406/https://books.google.com/books?id=l3v2tOvz1uQC&q=earwigs|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
{{further|Taxonomy of the Dermaptera}}

===Distinguishing characteristics===
The characteristics which distinguish the order Dermaptera from other insect orders are:<ref name="Gillot">Gillot, C. ''Entomology'' 2nd Ed. (1995) Springer, {{ISBN|0-306-44967-6}}, {{ISBN|978-0-306-44967-3}}. Accessed on [https://books.google.com/books?id=DrTKxvZq_IcC Google Books] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611125536/https://books.google.com/books?id=DrTKxvZq_IcC&source=gbs_navlinks_s |date=11 June 2020 }} on 25 November 2009.</ref>
* ''General body shape'': Elongate; [[Ventral|dorso-ventrally]] flattened.
* ''Head'': [[Prognathous]]. [[Antenna (biology)|Antennae]] are segmented. Biting-type [[Insect mouthparts|mouthparts]]. [[Ocelli]] absent. Compound eyes in most species, reduced or absent in some taxa.
* ''Appendages'': Two pairs of wings normally present. The forewings are modified into short smooth, veinless [[tegmina]]. Hindwings are [[biological membrane|membranous]] and semicircular with [[Insect wing#Wing venation|veins]] radiating outwards.
* ''Abdomen'': [[Cercus|Cerci]] are unsegmented and resemble [[forceps]]. The [[ovipositor]] in females is reduced or absent.

The overwhelming majority of earwig species are in the former suborder Forficulina, grouped into nine families of 180 genera,<ref name="tolweb" /> including ''[[Forficula auricularia]]'', the common European Earwig. Species within Forficulina are free-living, have functional wings and are not parasites. The cerci are unsegmented and modified into large, forceps-like structures.

The first [[epizoic]] species of earwig was discovered by a [[London]] [[taxidermist]] on the body of a [[Cheiromeles torquatus|Malaysian hairless bulldog bat]] in 1909, then described by [[Karl Jordan (zoologist, born 1861)|Karl Jordan]]. By the 1950s, the two suborders Arixeniina and Hemimerina had been added to Dermaptera.<ref name="The other insect societies "/> These were subsequently demoted to family [[Arixeniidae]] and superfamily Hemimeroidea (with sole family [[Hemimeridae]]), respectively.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Engel |first1=Michael S. |last2=Haas |first2=Fabian |date=2007 |title=Family-group Names for Earwigs (Dermaptera) |url=http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1206%2F0003-0082(2007)539%5B1%3AFNFED%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |journal=American Museum Novitates |language=en |issue=3567 |page=1 |doi=10.1206/0003-0082(2007)539[1:FNFED]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=85642033 |issn=0003-0082}}</ref> They are now grouped together with the former Forficulina in the new suborder [[Neodermaptera]].<ref name=":0" />

Arixeniidae represents two genera, ''[[Arixenia]]'' and ''[[Xeniaria]]'', with a total of five species in them. As with Hemimeridae, they are blind and wingless, with filiform segmented cerci. Hemimeridae are [[viviparous]] [[ectoparasites]], preferring the fur of African rodents in either ''[[Cricetomys]]'' or ''[[Beamys]]'' genera.<ref name="Korean" /> Hemimerina also has two genera, ''[[Hemimerus]]'' and ''[[Araeomerus]]'', with a total of 11 species.<ref name="Korean" />

===Phylogeny===
[[File:Forficula auricularia.jpg|thumb|A female of the common earwig in a threat pose]]

Dermaptera is relatively small compared to the other orders of [[Insecta]], with only about 2,000 species, 3 suborders and 15 families, including the extinct suborders [[Archidermaptera]] and Eodermaptera with their extinct families [[Protodiplatyidae]], Dermapteridae, [[Semenoviolidae]], and [[Turanodermatidae]]. The [[Phylogenetics|phylogeny]] of the Dermaptera is still debated. The [[Neodermaptera|extant Dermaptera]] appear to be monophyletic and there is support for the monophyly of the families Forficulidae, Chelisochidae, Labiduridae and Anisolabididae, however evidence has supported the conclusion that the former suborder Forficulina was [[paraphyletic]] through the exclusion of Hemimerina and Arixeniina which should instead be nested within the Forficulina.<ref name="tolweb"/><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.earwigs-online.de/privat_FH/KJ_FH_MW_2005.pdf|title=A phylogeny of earwigs (Insecta: Dermaptera) based on molecular and morphological evidence: reconsidering the classification of Dermaptera|author1=Jarvis, KJ|author2=F Haas|author3=MF Whiting|journal=Systematic Entomology|year=2004|volume=30|issue=3|pages=1–12|doi=10.1111/j.1365-3113.2004.00276.x|bibcode=2005SysEn..30..442J |s2cid=85718043|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718233218/http://www.earwigs-online.de/privat_FH/KJ_FH_MW_2005.pdf|archive-date=18 July 2011}}</ref> Thus, these former suborders were eliminated in the most recent higher classification.

==Relationship with humans==
Earwigs are fairly abundant and are found in many areas around the world. There is no evidence that they transmit diseases to humans or other animals. Their pincers are commonly believed to be dangerous, but in reality, even the curved pincers of males cause little or no harm to humans.<ref>{{cite book|title=Introduction to Earwigs|last=Harris|first=Bronwyn|year=2006|publisher=Home Institute|page=1}}</ref> Earwigs have been rarely known to crawl into the ears of humans,<ref>{{cite journal |pmc= 1306897 |journal= West J Med |year=1986 |volume=145 |issue=2 |page= 245 |title= Earwig in the ear |author= Fisher, JR|pmid= 3765607 }}</ref> and they do not lay eggs inside the human body or human brain as is often claimed.<ref name="Urban Legends Reference Pages">{{cite web |url= http://www.snopes.com/horrors/insects/bugear.asp |title= Bugs in the Ear |last= Mikkelson |first= Barbara |author2= David P. Mikkelson |year= 1995 |work= Urban Legends Reference Pages |publisher= Snopes.com |page= 1 |access-date= 22 November 2009 |archive-date= 9 June 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004318/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/insects-on-the-brain/ |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name="Urban legend: Earwig">{{cite book |last= Berenbaum |first= May R. |title= The Earwig's Tail: A Modern Bestiary of Multi-Legged Legends |publisher= Harvard University Press |location= Cambridge, Mass. |year= 2009 |pages= 10, 14 |chapter= The Brain-Boring Earwig |isbn= 978-0-674-03540-9 |chapter-url= }}</ref>

There is a debate whether earwigs are harmful or beneficial to crops, as they eat both the foliage and the insects eating such foliage, such as [[aphid]]s, though it would take a large population to do considerable damage. The [[common earwig]] eats a wide variety of plants, and also a wide variety of foliage, including the leaves and petals. They have been known to cause economic losses in fruit and vegetable crops. Some examples are the flowers, [[Humulus lupulus|hops]], [[red raspberries]],<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gordon|first1=SC|last2=Cormack|first2=MR|last3=Hackett|first3=CA|title=Arthropod contamination of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) harvested by machine in Scotland|journal=Journal of Horticultural Science|date=September 1997|volume=72|issue=5|pages=677–685|doi=10.1080/14620316.1997.11515559}}</ref> and [[maize|corn crops]] in Germany, and in the south of France, earwigs have been observed feeding on [[peach]]es and [[apricot]]s. The earwigs attacked mature plants and made cup-shaped bite marks {{convert|3|-|11|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on}} in diameter.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Solomon|first=M.G.|date=March 1992|title=Exploitation of predators in UK fruit and hop culture|journal=Phytoparasitica|volume=20|issue=Supplement 1|pages=51S–56S|doi=10.1007/BF02980408|bibcode=1992Phyto..20S..51S |s2cid=45136503}}</ref>

==In literature and folklore==
* One of the primary characters of James Joyce's experimental novel ''[[Finnegans Wake]]'' is referred to by the initials "HCE," which primarily stand for "Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker," a reference to earwigs. Earwig imagery is found throughout the book, and also occurs in the author's ''[[Ulysses (novel)|Ulysses]]'' in the Laestrygonians chapter.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Campbell |first1=Joseph |last2=Robinson |first2=Henry Morton |date=1961 |title=A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake |location=New York |publisher=The Viking Press |isbn=978-1-60868-166-2}}</ref>
* [[Oscar Cook]] wrote the short story (appearing in ''Switch On The Light'', April, 1931; ''A Century Of Creepy Stories'' 1934; ''Pan Horror 2'', 1960) "Boomerang", which was later adapted by [[Rod Serling]] for the ''[[Night Gallery]]'' TV-series episode, "The Caterpillar".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nightgallery.net/night-gallery-episode-guide-season-two/|title=The Second Season|website=nightgallery.net|access-date=5 May 2019|archive-date=1 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501195834/http://nightgallery.net/night-gallery-episode-guide-season-two/|url-status=live}}</ref> It tells the tale of the use of an earwig as a murder instrument applied by a man obsessed with the wife of an associate. 
* [[Thomas Hood]] discusses the myth of earwigs finding shelter in the human ear in the poem "Love Lane" by saying the following: {{"-}}'Tis vain to talk of hopes and fears, / And hope the least reply to win, / From any maid that stops her ears / In dread of earwigs creeping in!"<ref>[https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/love-lane-0 Love Lane] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614080040/https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/love-lane-0 |date=14 June 2020 }} Poetry Nook.</ref>
* In some parts of rural England the earwig is called "battle-twig", which is present in [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson]]'s poem ''The Spinster's Sweet-Arts'': {{"-}}'Twur as bad as battle-twig 'ere i' my oan blue chamber to me."<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Twinn |first=Cecil |title=Insect Life in the Poetry and Drama of England: With Special Reference to Poetry |year=1942 |publisher=University of Ottawa |oclc=877128347 |pages=241–242}}</ref>
* In some regions of Japan, earwigs are called "Chinpo-Basami" or "Chinpo-Kiri", which means "penis cutter". Kenta Takada, a Japanese cultural entomologist, has inferred that these names may be derived from the fact that earwigs were seen around old Japanese-style toilets.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Takada|first=Kenta|title=Vulgar dialect names of earwigs used in Kansai Region, Japan|journal=Kiberihamushi|year=2013|volume=36|issue=2|pages=20–22|url=http://www.konchukan.net/pdf/kiberihamushi/Vol36_1/kiberihamushi_36_1_20-22.pdf|access-date=7 January 2017|archive-date=7 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107172504/http://www.konchukan.net/pdf/kiberihamushi/Vol36_1/kiberihamushi_36_1_20-22.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
*In [[Roald Dahl]]'s children's book ''[[George's Marvellous Medicine]]'', George's Grandma encourages him to eat unwashed celery with beetles and earwigs still on them. {{"'}}A big fat earwig is very tasty,' Grandma said, licking her lips. 'But you've got to be very quick, my dear, when you put one of those in your mouth. It has a pair of sharp nippers on its back end and if it grabs your tongue with those, it never lets go. So you've got to bite the earwig first, chop chop, before it bites you.{{'"}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/children/2017/george-s-marvellous-medicine-by-roald-dahl-extract.html|title=Extract - George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl|website=www.penguin.co.uk|access-date=4 January 2019|archive-date=5 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105042956/https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/children/2017/george-s-marvellous-medicine-by-roald-dahl-extract.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Orthopteroid genera containing species recorded in Europe]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.earwigs-online.de/ Earwig Research Center] by Fabian Haas, Heilbronn
* [http://dermaptera.speciesfile.org/HomePage/Dermaptera/HomePage.aspx Dermaptera Species File] by Heidi Hopkins, Michael D. Maehr, Fabian Haas, and Lesley S. Deem
* [http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/ringlegged_earwig.htm Ringlegged earwig] on the [[University of Florida|UF]] / [[Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences|IFAS]] Featured Creatures website
* Langston RL & JA Powell (1975) [http://essig.berkeley.edu/documents/cis/cis20.pdf The earwigs of California (Order Dermaptera)]. Bulletin of the California Insect Survey. 20
* [http://www.whatsthatbug.com/category/earwigs/ Earwigs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151215121931/http://www.whatsthatbug.com/category/earwigs/ |date=15 December 2015 }} from What's That Bug?

{{Orders of Insects}}
{{Dermaptera}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q13676}}
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{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Earwig}}
[[Category:Earwigs| ]]
[[Category:Rhaetian first appearances]]
[[Category:Extant Late Triassic first appearances]]
[[Category:Exopterygota]]
[[Category:Polyneoptera]]