Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Dangerous Earwigs


P.S. - Another 70 More In Photo Below

I keep finding more of these earwigs all around outside, most lately when I edged the lawn. I see them with their pincers usually open in a roughly parallel fashion, but as I freeze them contraction makes the pincers close. And when the sun shines upon them, it shows that their bodies and legs are a little translucent in various shades of brown. Their pincers are shorter, straighter, and sharper, like scissors closing shut, than most other species of earwig. And also, to compare size, in my photos the lines on the paper are one third of an inch apart.

Speculating, it appears to me that it could possibly be that there are three different types of sexes in this species, not unlike some other insects. I think it is probably the females which dominate in numbers and lay quite a few eggs here and there and wherever they choose. And it may be the males that are much smaller and thinner, with or without stubby wings, and with thin pincers. It also might be possible that they communicate with each other through ultrasonic vibrations.

I know that cold air slows them down, and freezing air stops them cold. I also know that they have a difficult time crawling over slick surfaces like the inside of a plastic bag, but they stick very well to textured surfaces like a Kleenex or concrete. And when found they tend to run and look to hide in nooks and crannies, under debris, or even underneath your shoes. You shouldn't ever let one crawl up your nose or into your ear.

P.S. This species also burrows underground or creeps into your house to escape the cold.