Dermaptera
Sign in to saveEarwigs 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.
AI overview
Dermaptera is the scientific order that includes earwigs, a group of about 2,000 insect species found worldwide except Antarctica. These insects are recognizable by their distinctive pair of pincers on their abdomen and folded wings, though some parasitic species lack the typical pincers.
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Taxonomy · GBIF
ORDER
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumArthropoda
- ClassInsecta
- OrderDermaptera
Observations82
Groupinsecta
via GBIF · iNaturalist · CC0
Article
17 sectionsContents
- 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.