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European Earwig

Forficula auricularia

Photo by Jopy
Published on Project Noah
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44.1814, 15.548

Field Notes

Description:

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 crenulate 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.

Reference Links:

Forficula auricularia

Species ID Suggestions

European Earwig

Forficula Auricularia

Reference Link
antondazomb
2

Comments (8)
Jopy
wow, it looks great, it has so big pincers! beautiful photos, Noel!
Noel Buensuceso
You're welcome Jopy! Here's my spotting of an earwig from the Philippines: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/12268098
Jopy
Thanks, Noel!
injica
I was a very bad child, I was always trying to mix a new chemical substance and once I got a truly crazy idea to use it poison to make an insecticide for ants cause they were always entering the house (I was 6 years old at the time) I took granny's nail scissors and cut the piece, the top of one claw and that piece jumped and touched my hand so I had a painful blister on my hand for few weeks! I was usually pinched many times by earwig but their venom was never so powerful...probably because the right dosage, when I open the "canal" there was surely more venom going out! ;) so the moral of the story is that they don't just look scary but they can also be scary :)
Jopy
Yes, they really looks scary :D
antondazomb
no prob, nice shots, those pincers look like they would hurt
Jopy
Thank you very much :)

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Wildlife of Adriatic Coast
Photographed
PublishedMay 29, 2013

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