Fun European Earwig Facts For Kids

The European earwig (Forficula auricularia or Forficula auricularia linnaeus), also known as a common earwig, is of the family Forficulidae. In this family, there are around 71 genera and 490 species of earwigs. This family is a part of the suborder Neodermaptera.

The European earwig can survive in any surroundings and are a common insect in North American households. These species are given the name earwig due to the appearance of their hindwings when they are unfolded. These hindwings resemble a human ear, and the specific name 'auricularia' refers to this distinct feature.

They tend to invade the cracks and crevices in homes and feed on pantry food. So, they are considered pests. They are sometimes beneficial depending on the surroundings and circumstances.

They are reddish-brown in color. Many species of tachinid flies (Diptera) and beetles (Coleoptera) are the predators of earwigs. They hide during the day in moist and dark places.

They have been introduced to many places. Researchers believe that these animals were introduced to North America in the 20th century. They mostly live on the ground.

If the European earwig facts interest you, you may also like to read green stink bug facts and ghost ant facts.

European Earwig Fun Facts

What do European earwigs look like?

European earwigs are of the order Dermaptera. The earwigs are long and flat with a shield-shaped pronotum. They have a brownish body with a pair of forceps-like cerci and two pairs of wings.

These wings are weak and rarely used. The lobed second tarsal segment extends distally below their tarsal segment. The antenna has 11-14 segments.

They have chewing-type mouthparts. They have three pairs of yellow to brown-colored legs. In terms of body weight, head width, and cercus width and length, adult males are polymorphic.

The males have robust forceps that are broadened with crenulate teeth. The females have less robust and straight forceps that are 0.11 in (3 mm long). These insects use the cerci for self-defense, mating, and feeding.

The tegmina is 0.07 in (2 mm) long in females. The older nymphs (third instar) can regenerate lost cerci in form of a straight structure. As the forceps of males resemble that of females, they are called hermaphrodites or gynandromorphs.

How cute are they?

These insects are not considered cute.

How do they communicate?

The nymphs communicate using pheromone, forceps, antennas, and eyes. They release pheromones to attract other earwigs. Nymphs release pheromones to encourage the mothers to care for the young. These species have segmented antenna has several sense organs like chemoreceptors that sense odors. The tactile hair on the antenna helps them understand the surroundings.

How big is a European earwig?

These earwigs are 0.47-0.59 in (12-15 mm) long. The nymphs have different lengths as they grow through different stages of instar.

How fast can European earwigs move?

This insect can move fast on the ground but are bad fliers.

How much does a European earwig weigh?

The exact weight of European earwigs is not available.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name given to the female and male European earwigs.

What would you call a baby European earwig?

There is no specific name given to the baby European earwigs.

What do they eat?

These earwigs seek out a wide range of omnivorous food items. They are more of scavengers than predators. The earwigs feed by using their chewing mouthparts. They eat both dead and alive organisms like maggots, mites, spiders, aphids, and protozoans.

These earwigs also eat algae, lichens, fruits, and flowers. Their food preference is sugar or meat. Adult earwigs eat more insects than nymphs. Their favorite plants are common crucifer, dahlia, and white clover.

Are they harmful?

No, earwig insects are not harmful but they are considered pests. Due to their unpleasant odor and appearance, they are not welcomed at home. They can cause damage to crops and fruits. Conversely, aphids can be destructive to pear and apple orchards but the earwigs control the destruction by feeding on aphids.

Would they make a good pet?

No, these insects would not make good pets. These insects are good and bad depending on the surroundings.

Did you know...

A myth that is misunderstood as one of the earwig facts is that they crawl into human ears, which is not true. Earwigs also do not feed on human brains and do not lay eggs in your ear.

Some fossils found were of the order Dermaptera and the extinct suborders Archidermaptera or Eodermaptera.

There are several origin points to the name earwig. One of them is of European language which means 'ear wiggler' or 'earworm.'

Earwigs are found everywhere except Antarctica.

Any species of earwigs do not transmit any kind of disease to humans or animals.

These earwigs are known as battle wings in rural parts of England.

The Australian giant earwig found in Australia is the largest species and can grow more than two inches long.

The record of fossils of these species starts between Late Triassic to Early Jurassic period around 280 million ago in Australia and England.

These species will hibernate in your home. So, make sure to clear grass, leaves, compost, or any other vegetable around the house. Make sure to change the bright white lights to yellow bulbs, as it will attract fewer insects.

Do European earwigs bite?

Yes, they can bite but it is rare. When they are picked up or threatened, they might pinch using their pincers. Sometimes mosquito bites are misunderstood as earwig bites. If they do bite, you need to follow simple steps to clean the wound.

First, wash the bitten area with mild soap and water. Then, apply an ice pack to lower the temperature. After the area dries out, apply ointment on the wound. Use antibiotics and anti-infection drugs like Neosporin and hydrogen peroxide.

How do I get rid of European earwigs?

Pest management can be done by cultural control, sampling, chemical control, and biological control.  

Cultural control: This involves persistent trapping of earwigs in residential property or small gardens. If there is a high number of earwigs, then this method is challenging.

Boards with narrow graves and channels attract a huge number of earwigs. Also, moist rolled-up newspapers can trap the earwigs in home gardens.

Another effective way to trap these earwigs is to fill up a flower pot with wood shavings and put the pot upside down over a short stake driven out of the soil. Earwigs also prefer trees for food and shelter where they can be trapped.

Sampling: Bait and traps like wheat bran and oatmeal can be used to monitor their population. Dark spots and crevices can also be used to monitor their population.

Biological control: Many natural parasites are known to exist with few imported from Europe to North America to curb the destructive habits of earwigs. The most important parasite of earwigs is the European parasitoid (Bigonicheta spinipennis).

The fungi Erynia forficule and Metarhizium anisopliae infect earwigs. An important motility factor is played by the nematode Mermis nigrescens as 10-60 % of earwigs were infected in two years.

Chemical control: The commercial products for pests are rarely formulated for earwigs as these insects are not often a severe problem. Products for slugs, sowbugs, cutworms, and grasshoppers are used for European earwig control.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods from our wheel bug fun facts, and stick bug interesting facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable european earwig coloring pages.

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