Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forcep-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded underneath short, rarely used forewings, hence the scientific order name, "skin wings". Some groups are tiny parasites on mammals and lack the typical pincers. Earwigs are found on all continents except Antarctica.
The Saint Helena earwig or Saint Helena giant earwig is an extinct species of very large earwig endemic to the oceanic island of Saint Helena in the south Atlantic Ocean.
Wildlife of Sri Lanka includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of biological endemism in the world.
Labidura riparia is a species of earwig in the family Labiduridae characterized by their modified cerci as forceps, and light tan color. They are commonly known as the shore earwig, tawny earwig, riparian earwig, or the striped earwig due to two dark longitudinal stripes down the length of the pronotum. They are sometimes wrongly referred to as Labidura japonica, although said species is actually a subspecies, Labidura riparia japonica, found only in Japan. L. riparia are a cosmopolitan species primarily in tropical to subtropical regions. Body size varies greatly, ranging from 16 mm to 30 mm, with 10 abdominal segments. Males and females differ in forcep size, with males having much larger and stronger curve, while females have smaller, straighter forceps with a slight curve at the end. Earwigs use these forceps to assist in predation, defense, sexual selection, courting and mating, and wing folding.
Chelisochidae is a family of earwigs whose members are commonly known as black earwigs. The family contains a total of approximately 96 species, spread across sixteen genera in three subfamilies.
Labiduridae, whose members are known commonly as striped earwigs, is a relatively large family of earwigs in the suborder Forficulina.
The ringlegged earwig is a species of earwig in the family Anisolabididae.
Anisolabis howarthi is a blind, troglobite species of earwig in the genus Anisolabis, the family Anisolabididae, the suborder Forficulina, and the order Dermaptera. The species is native to Hawaii, and was first classified by Brindle in 1979. According to a paper published by him in 1980 in the journal Pacific Insects, the species is first known true troglobite earwig; while there are other blind species that live underneath soil or humus, this is the first to actually inhabit a cave.
The seashore earwig is a species of earwig in the family Anisolabididae. The species was first described in 1846 by Adam White. This species has a blackish-brown body with brown-yellow legs. It has two light brown spots on its head, close to the inside of each eye. Its abdomen is widest at the seventh segment. It is flightless. It is native to eastern Australia and New Zealand. Similar both ecologically and taxonomically to the maritime earwig, this species is commonly found on beaches under stones and debris. It is a carnivore, feeding on millipedes, flies, and isopods such as woodlice. Like most other earwigs, the females care for their young during development, and the larva go through five instars before becoming adults. The species also has a negative phototaxis, meaning that it tends to move away from a light source.
Labia minor, the lesser earwig or small earwig, is a species of earwig. It is widespread globally in temperate climates, preferring warm locations such as compost heaps in parts of its range. It is 4–7 mm long, including the pincer, and chocolate brown in color.
Malcolm Burr was an English author, translator, entomologist, and geologist. He taught English at the School of Economics in Istanbul, and spent most of his life in Turkey.
Walter Douglas Hincks was a British entomologist and museum curator. He was a world expert on the Dermaptera.
