European Earwig
Scientific Name: Forficula auricularia
Size: Total Length 15 mm
What does it look like?
The European Earwig has a dark reddish-brown body with pale brown legs and edges to pronotum. Adult males have smaller bodies with larger and more strongly curved toothed forceps than females.
Where is it found?
Native to Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, introduced to North America, NZ and Australia.
What are its habitats & habits?
The European Earwig prefers cool, moist environments where it is active at night. It hides in leaf litter, crevices and other shelters during the day. Omnivorous, it predates on other arthropods and also feeds on fruit and other plant material, where it may occasionally become a pest causing damage to agricultural crops.
This species features in my book A Naturalist’s Guide to the Insects of Australia
