I have fond memories of earwigs from when I was a lad exploring the various nooks and crannies in the garden where insects lived. Back then it was just curiosity and finding a way of spending time, but I distinctly remember that earwigs were common and, together with woodlice, ants and the odd centipede or millipede, they could be readily found under virtually every large stone or flowerpot. I'm not sure what's changed and whether gardens have generally evolved into tidier habitats, but earwigs seem to be a bit of a rarity these days - at least in our garden. I'm sure that if I really went looking, I could find some, but I certainly don't encounter many when I'm out and about insect hunting.

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Prior to my recent interest in discovering and learning a bit about insects in general, I probably would have guessed that earwigs were a type of beetle rather than a totally separate species. I also thought that an earwig was an earwig and not that we have a couple of different forms. There are actually seven species on the British list including three introductions, albeit two of those are now extinct. The remaining one, Euborellia annulipes is rare, and two of the native species, Forficula lesnei and Apterygida media are defined as 'nationally scarce'. Although there's a possibility that I could come across Forficula lesnei as it has been recorded in Dorset, there really are only two species that I'm likely to see locally.

   

The most likely is the regular, Common (European) Earwig, Forficula auricularia, which is easily identified both by its larger size and the fact that the chitinized hardened part of the hindwings, known as the squama, protrude beyond the folded forewings. They have a body length of between 10-15mm with the male having long curved 'cerci', more commonly known as pincers or forceps, that may very well extend the overall length of the insect by up to another 10mm. The females also have pincers, but they're noticeably shorter and straighter.

 

The Lesne's Earwig, Forficula lesnei, is about half the size with shorter forewings, and hindwings that are either absent or concealed. It is most likely to be confused with the Short-winged Earwig, Apterygida media, that has only been recorded from parts of East Anglia and Kent.

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An interesting fact regarding the juveniles, which undergo a four-stage development process once hatched, is that, as well as growing and slowly changing colour from a pale greyish-brown to dark brown during each instar moult, their antennae also grow with additional segments showing at each stage. Regardless of other features, such as the development of the cerci or indeed the wings pads that don't show until the fourth instar, the respective number of antennal segments (8, 10, 11 and finally 12) provide a pretty good indicator of their age. Newly hatched nymphs remain in or around the nest cell where they're protected by their mother until the second instar at which stage they'll start to disperse.

   

The Lesser Earwig, Labia minor, is a localised species that, as its name suggests, is smaller than the common form with a body length of only 4-6mm. It is also lighter in colour, more yellow-brown rather than the dark chestnut-brown colour of Forficula auricularia. Despite its size it has both forewings and hindwings and can fly well. At rest, the hindwings are completely covered. They're generally found in moist, heat-generating heaps of organic matter such as compost or piles of horse manure, which is probably why I haven't consciously seen one or, if I have, I certainly didn't take enough notice, because at present I only have photos of its larger relative. 

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