Cedar Creek
Natural History Area

Insects of Cedar Creek

Order DERMAPTERA

(Earwigs)

The Earwigs (20 NA spp) have short wing covers, and workable forceps at the end of their elongate abdomen.  They are gregarious omnivores and occur in flowers, humid crevices, under bark.  Females of some species tend their eggs and young.  Five families occur in NA and most species are southern in distribution.  However, representative of two families (Labiidae--Labia minor; Forficulidae--Forficula sp, Doru sp) have been collected in Minnesota.  Undetermined Earwigs crawled into my tent poles at Blue Mound SP in SW Minnesota.  A single earwig, Forficula auricularia, an introduced species, was collected while cleaning my car at CCNHA.  Origins unknown.
 
1. Family CARCINOPHORIDAE Red-legged Earwigs (Not found in Minnesota)
2. Family LABIDURIDAE Long-horned Earwigs (Not found in Minnesota)
3. Family LABIIDAE Little Earwigs (Not described at CCNHA)
4. Family CHELISOCHIDAE Black Earwigs (Not found in Minnesota)
5. Family FORFICULIDAE Common Earwigs

jhaar@lter.umn.edu Last updated May, 2000