Earwigs are the insects that come under the order Dermaptera - one of the smallest orders of insects.Earwigs are diversified into 2,000 species in 12 different families. The characteristic features of this insect are a forceps pair on the abdomen called cerci and membranous wings that are cleanly folded below the rarely used and short forewings, giving this insect the scientific name ‘skin wings.‘The fascinating thing about this insect is that it can be found on every continent but Antarctica. These insects are found most commonly in the southern and southwest parts of America, even though these were introduced in 1907 to North America from Europe.As they are nocturnal in nature, these bugs love to stay hidden in the day in tiny crevices that are also moist but are active when the night comes. They prey on a wide range of plants and bugs. This bug can be blamed for damaging a plant, flowers, foliage, and different crops.The common or European earwig (Forficula auricularia) is one of the most common species of earwig. There are many species of these insects that show an uncommon feature among the family of insects - maternal care. Before becoming adults, in the year, this creature undergoes five molts. After the females lay eggs, they take care of them. Even after the eggs have hatched and the young earwigs called nymphs show up, the female continues to look over the young ones till the second molt. After the nymphs undergo molting, the sexual dimorphism starts to show up as differences in the pincer shapes on the body as in the adult.These insects are anti-social. There are no kings or queens or workers in them like we have in bees or ants. Earwigs live in different habitats like moist cracks or crevices. There is no nest, and this is why no infestation can be seen in one place. The season of the earwigs is early summer and during the late spring. When the weather is cold, the bug likes to stay hidden underground where it can stay warm. During this hiding time, they reproduce. The lifespan of an earwig is one year, and it is enough to lay eggs and give birth to its offspring.If you like reading about earwigs, you should read further to know about them in detail. The answer to the question of whether earwigs crawl into the ears of humans lies below! There is a lot of information available on earwigs below, and lots of curious questions have been answered for you. Get going to read whether the bite of an earwig hurts or needs medication or whether they have anything to do with wrecking your garden. Later, you can also definitely check out our other fun-facts articles on insect exoskeleton and dog jaw.What is the purpose of an earwig?Earwigs, without a doubt, are scary-looking. These anti-social insects stay in their zone and do not interact much other than living and doing their chores.The purpose of this bug is great. They prey on the decay.They love to munch on dead plants or dead and decaying insects. This property of this bug makes it an ecologically beneficial insect. Working as a natural janitor, earwigs crawl in the garden with ease and feed on what you do not need. This also helps in keeping a garden clean.Although, the problem arises when the earwigs get crazy without the decaying and dead matter to feed on. When earwigs run out of dead matter, their crawling extends to the still alive flowers or plants. They start feeding on plants and flowers and can destroy the garden that you might have worked hard on. They can either be a great helper or bring havoc - depending on what they are feeding on.When they become house pests, you can simply eradicate them. An earwig can cause a heavy loss to the garden or a plant, and you will need to call an exterminator to terminate the earwigs. It will be necessary to call them to save your garden.Do earwigs actually enter the human ear?Though the name of the bug suggests that it has something to do with the human ear, it does not.The ear of a human is safe from the insect. Earwig’s not known to enter the ear of a human. An earwig, on the other hand, can cause pretty bad problems to the house where there are too many temptations for the insect. They can lead to significant damage to your vegetation or garden.The name of the bug comes from words used in Old English - ‘Ear Wicga’ that means ’ear creature or wiggler.’ This is where the myths started. The myth says that the earwig is an insect that will crawl into the ear while you are asleep and lay eggs in your brain. But this is what it is - a myth.This myth has really nothing to do with an actual ear or brain of a human. Your ears are very safe from these crawling bugs. These bugs are found nowhere near in the ear of humans as long as the ears are far away from the garden or places where there are too many species of earwigs present.So take care of your hygiene and stay away from places where your ears or even one ear is easily accessible for an earwig to crawl into. Humans have sensitive ears, and if anything, be it an ant or an earwig, entering it, would cause great pain and discomfort.Where do earwigs lay their eggs?Earwigs are known to lay eggs which then hatch into nymphs. The female earwig’s very conscious of the place where they lay their eggs that will hatch into young ones.The places that can be frequently visited by the earwigs are the ones where the earwig’s female members would want to give birth.The protected places that are sought for this important process to take place can be mulch, wet leaves, or crevices. There are times when the eggs can be easily exposed to the warm sunlight if the mulch can be easily pulled back, and then hatching can begin. The male and the female earwigs together reproduce, but the female earwig is the one that is known to take care of little ones.Can earwigs hurt you?No, the bite of an earwig is not lethal. Earwigs have nothing to do with humans unless and until they are forced to interact with us.An earwig can hurt you only if you agitate it enough. An earwig is not dangerous, and it does not sting. An earwig is not known to have any venom in its forceps but will grab your finger if you irritate it. If an earwig bites you or hurts you, you do not need any strong medication or go to the hospital for the bite of earwigs. There also isn’t much pain or discomfort involved.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for why are earwigs called earwigs? Here’s the curious answer! Then why not take a look at - are cashews bad for dogs? Here’s the truth about this nut for your pet or gerbils as pets: curious facts on animal pets for kids.
Earwigs are the insects that come under the order Dermaptera - one of the smallest orders of insects.
