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Dermaptera

File:Earwig_on_white_background.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Dermaptera

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Also known as the earwigs, earwig, earwigs

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 forceps-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.

OverviewAI-generated

Dermaptera is an order of insects within the class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda, and kingdom Animalia. It belongs to the parent taxon Polyneoptera and is commonly known as earwigs, Ohrwürmer, Ohreschlitzer, or Tijerilla. The taxon has been described in sources such as the Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition and Gujin Tushu Jicheng. Its status is accepted, and it is listed as a vital article on Wikipedia.

The order originated about 208 million years ago. While primarily terrestrial, it is also associated with marine habitats. Earwigs feed on aphids and are utilized for biological pest control. Cannibalism in animals is also noted as a use or behavior associated with the group.

Records of Dermaptera are held by institutions including YPM, NHMUK, UMNH, DMNS, and UCSB, with specimens located in the United States and United Kingdom. The taxon has 193,938 occurrences and 3,125 records, accompanied by 309 media files. It is referenced by 487 other encyclopedia articles.

Synthesized by Vinony from 39 facts across 7 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, iNaturalist, Gbif Occ, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

earwigs

Dermaptera

ORDER

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumArthropoda
  3. ClassInsecta
  4. OrderDermaptera
Habitatmarine
Observations82
Observations recorded193,938

Les Dermaptères (Dermaptera) sont un ordre d'insectes qui comprend notamment les forficules ou perce-oreilles. On en connaît environ 200 genres et 1 900 espèces à travers le monde, dont un peu plus d'une trentaine en Europe. Ce sont des insectes allongés munis de pinces abdominales (les cerques). Les pinces des mâles sont plus courbes que celles des femelles. Celles-ci sont d'ailleurs des armes défensives mais guère efficaces. Les perce-oreilles passent la plupart de leur temps dans les crevasses, le creux des fleurs. Les forficules sont parmi les rares insectes dont la mère porte attention à sa progéniture. Elle ne se contente pas seulement de pondre les œufs, mais elle reste à proximité de ceux-ci jusqu'à leur éclosion. Les dermaptères (de derma : peau et ptera : aile) ont des ailes très fines ressemblant aux lambeaux d'épiderme qui pèlent après un coup de soleil. Elles sont repliées de façon très complexe sous de minuscules élytres. Une étude récente a incidemment montré que les forficules jouent aussi un rôle de pollinisateur nocturne.

via GBIF

Museum specimens

Specimen records
3,125
With media
309
Family
Dermaptera
Collections
YPM, NHMUK, UMNH, DMNS, UCSB
Recorded in
United States, United Kingdom
iDigBio →

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Encyclopedic overview

17 sections
Contents
  • Etymology
  • Distribution
  • Morphology
  • Internal
  • Life cycle and reproduction
  • Behavior
  • Ecology
  • Predators and parasites
  • Evolution
  • Taxonomy
  • Distinguishing characteristics
  • Phylogeny
  • Relationship with humans
  • In literature and folklore
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

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 forceps-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.

Earwigs are mostly nocturnal and often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night, feeding on a wide variety of insects and plants. Damage to foliage, flowers, and various crops is commonly blamed on earwigs, especially the common earwig Forficula auricularia.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Dermaptera” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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