UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



JW^*1V6, 



BULLETIN No. 566 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



j\jy^m/u 



Washington, D. C. 



June 18, 1917 



THE EUROPEAN EARWIG 1 AND ITS CONTROL. 



By D. W. Jones, Scientific Assistant. 



Description and seasonal history 



Disagreeable habits of concealment- - 

 Area infested 



CONTENTS 



Page. 



2 



Methods of dispersion. 



Natural enemies 



Control of the earwig- 



Page. 



7 

 7 



The European earwig (fig. 1) was first noted at Newport, R. L, 

 in 1911 and is now present there in vast numbers. While it is not 



Fig. 1. — The European earwig (Forficula auricularia) : Adult males at left, 

 adult females at right. (Original.) 



considered of great economic importance in Europe, it has increased 

 so rapidly in Newport that it has become a serious pest and caused 



1 Forficula auricularia L. 

 Note. — The first visit to Newport to study the habits of this insect was, made by the 

 writer in August, 1915. Eight trips of this kind, averaging four days each, were made 

 during the summer and fall. Work was resumed May 6, 1916, and experiments were 

 under close observation through the entire season. Mr. T. Suffern Tailer, a resident of 

 Newport, whose grounds are in the heart of the area infested by this insect, gave finan- 

 cial support to cover expenses of the control measures and furnished the writer a large 

 room to be used as a laboratory. With his cooperation and the help of his head gar- 

 dener, Mr. William Edward, many facilities for the study of this insect were provided. 

 Cooperation was also secured from other owners and gardeners, and Mr. Perez Simmons, 

 a graduate of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, assisted in the application of con- 

 trol measures. The photographs used were made by Mr. Harold A. Preston of the Gipsy 

 Moth Laboratory. 

 98190°— 17 



