CHAPTER XVIII 

 THE DERMAPTERA 



The insects belonging in this group are commonly called Earwigs, 

 because of a mistaken belief that they crawl into the ears of sleeping 

 persons. .They are most abundant in warm climates, very few being 

 found in the more northern states. Both winged and wingless species 

 are known, the wings always shorter than the body and the front pair 

 tough, leathery and shorter than the hinder pair. The latter are very 

 broad, nearly half-moon shaped, with veins radiating from a point behind 

 the costa and about one-third the distance from the base to the apex. 

 These wings first fold in plaits like a fan, then twice across to reduce 

 their length and thus bring them under the fore wings, the forceps aiding 

 in this. At the end of the abdomen is a pair of prominent, horny cerci, 

 shaped like forceps, differing in form in the two sexes. The mouth parts 

 are well developed and of the chewing type. The order may be char- 

 acterized as: 



Insects which when adult are usually rather long and narrow in form; 

 with chewing mouth parts and a pair of forceps-like cerci at the end of the 

 abdomen. Wings may be absent or present: in the latter case the front 

 wings are leathery and shorter than the others which are broad and fold in 

 plaits from a center, and in addition fold crosswise. The metamorphosis 

 is incomplete. 



Earwigs are not generally of great importance as pests in North 

 America, though in the South and on the Pacific Coast, as they generally 

 feed on fruits, blossoms and other vegetable matter, they may occasion- 

 ally cause some injury. This appears to be more frequently the case in 

 Europe than in this country. 



They hide in crevices, among leaves and in the ground in the day time, 

 coming out at night to feed. In the northern states the most common 

 species is the Little Earwig (Labia minor L.), brownish in color and only 

 about a quarter of an inch long. It is sometimes attracted to lights at 

 night. A much larger, dark-brown, wingless species (Anisolabis mari- 

 tima Bon.), a native of Europe has now reached this country and is 

 found on the sea beaches of the Eastern United States, under seaweed 

 near high-water mark, probably feeding chiefly on decomposing vege- 

 table matter (Fig. 77). 



In 1911 the common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia L.), 

 which is about three-quarters of an inch in length when adult, was found 



95 



