Western Earwig
Forficula dentata
Unlike most non-social insects, female earwigs display dedicated maternal care, meticulously grooming their eggs to prevent lethal mold growth.
- Scientific name
- Forficula dentata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Dermaptera › Forficulidae › Forficula
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Damp leaf litter, rotting logs, under stones, and garden crevices.
- Diet
- Omnivorous, feeding on decaying plant matter, fungi, and small invertebrates like aphids.
- Range
- Western Europe, Mediterranean Region, North Africa
- Size
- 10 to 15 mm in length
- Lifespan
- 1 year
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Widespread pesticide use in agricultural and urban gardens, and severe habitat clearance.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. While they possess formidable-looking pincers (cerci) at the rear of their abdomen, they are non-venomous and use them only for defense. If handled roughly, they may deliver a weak pinch that rarely breaks the skin. No special precautions are needed; if pinched, simply wash the area with soap and water.
Forficula dentata is a species of earwig in the family Forficulidae, commonly referred to as the Western earwig or European earwig . It was first described by Danish zoologist, Johan Christian Fabricius, in 1775.
Photo: Cecile Roux, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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