INSECTA

A closer look · Insect guide

Earwigs

Order Dermaptera

Earwigs are garden insects best recognized by a pair of pincers at the end of the abdomen.

What does a European earwig look like?

It is slender and reddish brown.

Do earwigs have wings?

Adult European earwigs have short forewings covering folded hindwings, although they commonly walk.

Are the pincers always the same shape?

In European earwigs, male pincers are more curved and female pincers straighter.

Try one observation

If one is already visible, photograph its outline without picking it up. Note the rear appendages and leave its shelter undisturbed.

Observe without handling or collecting. These clues are a starting point, not a confirmed identification.

Source & further reading

University of Maryland Extension — Damselflies, dragonflies and earwigs

Published . Short introductory summary; consult the source for detail and regional context.

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