# Western Earwig

*Forficula dentata*

Unlike most non-social insects, female earwigs display dedicated maternal care, meticulously grooming their eggs to prevent lethal mold growth.

- **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.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/b7d3e6ef-5352-4111-894c-8d94fd46ef5b
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1470429
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forficula dentata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/368429542/medium.jpeg (Cecile Roux, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.