Common name : Seashore earwig
Scientific name : Forficula auricularia
Family : Dermaptera
Native to : America, Africa, Eurasia, Australia and New Zealand
Interesting fact : The earwig has a unique pair of membrane-like wings which are under the forewings, giving it the name ‘skin wings’.
The earwig is about 50 mm in length, and is sexually dimorphic with regards to the shape of pincers in the male and the female. Their habitat ranges from crevices and small chamber-like pockets in debris and soil. A female earwig can lay up to 80 eggs at one time. Once the eggs hatch, they take almost a year to reach adulthood. Their diet is comprised of dead and living plant and animal matter.
