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.
The wildlife of Sri Lanka includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of biological endemism.
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, courtship and mating, and wing folding.
Euborellia is a genus of earwigs in the subfamily Anisolabidinae. This genus, which has a world-wide distribution, was erected by Malcolm Burr in 1909 and was cited by Srivastava in Part 2 of Fauna of India.
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.
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.
This taxonomy of the Dermaptera follows Engel & Haas (2007) to the rank of genus.
Spongiphoridae is a family of earwigs in the suborder Neodermaptera. There are more than 40 genera and 510 described species in Spongiphoridae.
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.
Diplatys is a genus of Asian earwigs, in the family Diplatyidae, erected by Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville in 1831. The recorded distribution of species is from Indochina, although this may be incomplete; it is also worth noting that other genera in subfamily Diplatyinae and the genus Haplodiplatys historically have been placed here.
Labidura cryptera is an extant species of striped earwig from the genus Labidura of the family Labiduridae. The species is commonly known as the "cryptic earwig" due to its elusive behavior and preference for damp, hidden, shelter.
