Common Earwig, European Earwig
Not a spider (Insecta: Forficula auricularia / Common Earwig)
Forficulidae (Earwigs), Order Dermaptera. Note: This is an insect, not a spider, characterized by distinct body segments, six legs, antennae, and characteristic posterior cerci or pincers.
Physical Description
Elongated, flattened body divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen, featuring a pair of prominent, dark, pincer-like cerci at the rear. It has short wing covers and lacks the eight legs, cephalothorax, and spinnerets typical of spiders.
Size Estimate
Approximately 10 to 15 millimeters in body length excluding the cerci, which is typical for a common adult earwig.
Coloration & Markings
Chestnut brown to reddish-brown head and thorax, with paler yellowish-brown legs and antennae, and a dark brown to black abdomen terminating in dark, heavily sclerotized pincer appendages.
Web Type
None. Earwigs do not spin webs, as they are free-roaming insects that seek shelter in dark, damp crevices.
Eye Arrangement
Compound eyes typical of insects, positioned on the sides of the head, lacking the simple eyes (occelli) arranged in clusters characteristic of arachnids.
Leg Characteristics
Six short, slender legs adapted for running along surfaces, lacking the specialized tarsal claws and silk-spinning structures of spiders.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Earwigs do not possess venom glands or fangs. They cannot inject venom.
Medical Significance
Not medically significant. They are entirely harmless to humans. Their pincers may cause a slight pinch if mishandled, but they do not break the skin easily and do not transmit disease.
Safety Recommendations
No special precautions needed. If found indoors, simply scoop up the insect with a piece of paper and release it outside, or seal entry points around doors and windows to keep them out.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Found worldwide in temperate and subtropical regions, commonly inhabiting damp, dark microhabitats such as under rocks, mulch, bark, and occasionally entering homes through small foundation gaps.
Behavior & Temperament
Nocturnal and secretive during the day, becoming active at night to forage. When threatened, they may raise their abdominal pincers in a defensive posture, though they are harmless to humans.
Diet & Prey
Omnivorous and detritivorous, feeding on decaying organic matter, plant material, algae, and occasionally small insects.
Seasonal Activity
Most active during spring and summer months, seeking warm, sheltered areas indoors or underground when temperatures drop during autumn and winter.
Description
Though often mistaken for pests or even venomous creepy-crawlies due to their formidable-looking rear pincers, the insect shown is actually a harmless European earwig. As a detritivore, it plays a useful ecological role in breaking down organic matter.
Key Features
Elongated body, distinct head with antennae, visible thorax and abdomen, and prominent dark rear pincers (cerci). Easily distinguished from spiders by having six legs instead of eight.
Similar Species
Other earwig species within the order Dermaptera, easily told apart by minor variations in size, pincer shape, and coloration.
Life Cycle
Females lay eggs in subterranean nests and exhibit maternal care by guarding the eggs and nymphs through early development. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (hemimetabolous) through several nymphal stages.
Ecological Importance
Serves as a beneficial decomposer in garden ecosystems, helping recycle nutrients by feeding on decaying plant material, while also serving as a food source for birds, reptiles, and small mammals.
Conservation Status
Not evaluated by the IUCN, highly abundant and widespread globally.
Interesting Facts
Despite an old superstition suggesting they crawl into human ears to lay eggs, this is entirely a myth. The name 'earwig' actually derives from the old English word for ear-wriggle, referring to the wing shape resembling an ear.
Photography Tips
Use macro settings with bright, diffused lighting to capture the texture of the exoskeleton and the details of the abdominal pincers against a contrasting neutral background.
Identified: 2026-10-02T00:27:07.928233