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Forficula auricularia
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Forficula auricularia, the Common earwig or European earwig, is an omnivorous insect in the family Forficulidae. The European earwig is a common household pest in North America. Though they frighten many, they are harmless but tend to take up habitation within the home. They mostly appear frightening because their name literally means that they crawl into one's ear and are rumoured to burrow into the human brain, but this is entirely false.
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Encyclopedia
Forficula auricularia, the Common earwig or European earwig, is an omnivorous insect in the family Forficulidae. The European earwig is a common household pest in North America. Though they frighten many, they are harmless but tend to take up habitation within the home. They mostly appear frightening because their name literally means that they crawl into one's ear and are rumoured to burrow into the human brain, but this is entirely false. Instead, F. auricularia is a species that nurses their young and has survived in a variety of environments.
Identification
Forficula auricularia is about 12 - 15mm long. The adult earwigs are reddish brown, and have yellowish legs. The male earwig is readily identified by its large cerci also known as forceps that are 4 - 8mm long; however, they may grow longer than their abdomens. The male forceps are very robust and broadened basally with crenulate teeth. The female forceps are about 3mm long, and are less robust and straighter. The cerci are used during mating, feeding, and self-defense. Females also have tegmina of about 2mm in length. The earwig has functional wings but rarely flies.
Natural history
Origin
Native to Europe, Forficula auricularia was introduced to North America in the early twentieth century and is currently spread throughout much of the continent. European earwigs are most commonly found in temperate climates, since they were originally discovered in the Palearctic region, and are most active when the temperature does not fluctuate widely throughout the day.
Behaviour
Active primarily at night, European earwigs seek out food ranging from plant matter to small insects. Though they are omnivorous, they are considered scavengers rather than predators. Often they consume plant matter, though they've also been known to feed on aphids, spiders, insect eggs, dead plant and insects, among other things. Though F. auricularia have wings, they are fairly weak and are rarely, if ever, used. Instead, as their main form of transporation, earwigs hitchhike on clothing or other items to be carried from one place to another.
Development
European earwig nymphs look very similar to their adult counterparts except that they are a lighter tone. The young go through four nymphal stages and do not leave the nest until after the first moult. In adulthood, they develop wings but they are difficult to see, since they open and close quite quickly and are very rarely utilized.
Reproduction
European earwigs overwinter about 5mm below the surface of the earth. The female earwig lays a clutch of about 50 eggs in an underground nest in the autumn. She enters a dormant state and stays in the nest with the eggs. The female cares for her young by shifting the eggs about and cleaning them to avoid fungal growth. In the spring, she spreads them out into a single layer and the young emerge from the eggs. She guards them until they reach maturity after about one month. It is possible for the female to lay a second brood in one season and by the end of August all of the young reach maturity.
Human Impact
Forficula auricularia has been known to cause significant damage to crops, flowers, and fruit orchards when at high population levels. Some of the commercially valuable vegetables it feeds upon include cabbage, cauliflower, chard, celery, lettuce, potato, beet, and cucumber among others. Earwigs readily consume corn silk and can damage the crop. Among fruits, they’ve been found to damage apple, peach, plum and pear orchards. It is not uncommon to find them wedged among petals of fresh cut carnations, roses, dahlia and zinnia.
In addition to all of the agricultural problems caused, humans are not very fond of F. auricularia because of its foul odour and annoying propensity to aggregate together in or near human dwellings .
Control of F. auricularia has been attempted using some of its natural enemies, including the parasitoid fly Bigonicheta spinipenni, the fungi Erynia forficulae and Metarhizium anisopliae, as well as many species of birds. Insecticides have also been successfully implemented, although commercial products are rarely targeted specifically towards earwigs. Multipurpose insecticides for control of earwigs, grasshoppers, sowbugs and other insects are more common . Diazinon, an organophosphate insecticide has been known to continue killing F. auricularia up to 17 days after initial spraying ..
Humans have, however, found beneficial uses of F. auricularia in the pest management of other insects. The European earwig is a natural predator of a number of other agricultural pests, including the pear psyllid and several aphid species, and in this regard has been used to control outbreaks of such organisms . Damage to crops by F. auricularia is limited as long as there are high population levels of their insect prey .
External links
- Forficula auricularia fact page as well as photos and video
- Forficula auricularia images and facts
- Common earwig facts
- Gardening advice in relation to Forficula auricularia
- Controlling and maintaining European earwigs
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