348 
FIGHT BETWEEN EARWIG AND ANTS. 
H. VINCENT CORBETT, B.A. 
ON September 2nd, 1916, at 5-20 p.m., while watching a nest 
of Myrmica ruginodis Nylander, in a garden at Doncaster, I 
saw a worker dragging a large male specimen of the Common 
Earwig by his right front femur. The ant was holding’ her 
antenne well back, and dodging the earwig’s other legs. At 
first the earwig did not fight, merely making an obstinate 
tug-of-war. But, when he got within two inches of the ants’ 
burrow, he evidently realised his danger, for he made a fierce 
resistance. Meanwhile many other ants passed, but few took 
any interes., and these only approached the earwig gingerly, 
and jumped back quickly when he kicked. The earwig’s efforts 
were made partly with his legs, never with his mandibles,” 
and chiefly with his forceps. He frequently arched his tail 
right over his head, and attempted to seize the ant. Several 
times he succeeded in turning the ant on her back. 
Four times the ant pulled her prey to within an inch of the 
burrow ; but each time the earwig made a stiff fight and 
dragged her back. At 5-50 the earwig was actually dragged 
into the mouth of the burrow. Not till then did other ants 
take an active part in the struggle, but now about twelve 
seized the earwig. This time the forceps were brought into 
tremendous play. Time after time ants were dislodged from 
their positions by them, and twice the earwig hurled an ant 
over his back and half an inch behind him. The ants, however, 
did not seem afraid of the forceps, which they often cleverly 
dodged. On the other hand they seemed very much afraid of 
his hind legs. At 6-10 the ants and earwig disappeared down 
the burrow, and I thought the fight was over. I did not observe 
it again until 6-40, when I found that the earwig had again got 
12 inches away from the nest. The original (?) ant was still 
holding on to the right front femur, and two ants (A and B, 
which I had marked for other purposes) were holding the left 
front and left hind femora respectively. This time the ants 
were dragging their enemy away from the burrow. At 6-56 
A returned to the nest ; at 6-57 B changed her hold from the 
left hind femur to the left forcep. This provoked the earwig 
to another great effort and at 6-58 B left the fight and started 
fussing around. At 7-1 the earwig seemed much feebler, and 
allowed the ant to drag him on his back to the burrow. He 
then revived, and with his forceps dislodged the ant, which 
at 7-15 returned to the nest, leaving her foe nearly dead. At 
7-19 she returned, and gripped the earwig by the left front 
femur. The earwig again dislodged her with his forceps, and 
the anc wandered about for a while. At 7-29 the ant returned 
once more, and took hold of the earwig’s left hind.tarsi. At 
Naturalist, 
