Skip to main content

#14: Earwigs

From: Nesbit, C. and Nesbit A. (2017) Insecta. teNeues Media GmbH, Kempen. Page 79


 Litinsects #14: Earwigs

Did you ever hear that earwigs will crawl into your ear while you sleep and lay their eggs in your brain? I know I did as a kid. Rest easy, that’s a total old wives’ tale! Let me shed some light on these misunderstood insects

  • Earwigs make up the order DERMAPTERA, which means... anyone? You guessed it, “skin wings”. The forewings are short and leathery, modified into TEGMINA (similar in function to beetle elytra). The hindwings are very thin and fan-like and, although they are capable of flying, they very rarely do

  • Those big pincers on their abdomen are actually modified CERCI, which are paired structures that are usually used as sensory organs. In earwigs, the cerci are modified into forceps-like PINCERS, which can be used either to hold prey, to grasp each other while mating, or for defense

  • In some earwig species, mothers care for their eggs and hatched nymphs. MATERNAL CARE is relatively uncommon in insects and very rare among non-social species!

  • There are about 2,000 species of earwigs so they are one of the smaller groups of insects
  • Most species are 5-20mm in length but the largest, the Australian giant earwig, grows to 50mm!
     
These guys are relatively harmless to humans. So there is actually no reason to fear for your ears!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#8: Butterfly Wings

Litinsects #8: Butterfly Wings Have you ever heard that you shouldn’t touch a butterfly’s wings or it will die? Well why is that...? Who remembers what I explained yesterday about Latin names? Butterflies and moths belong to the group LEPIDOPTERA, from the Greek words lepis for scale and pteron for wing. You probably guessed it already: butterfly wings are covered in SCALES! (Anyone starting to see a pattern with the names here? 😉 ) Butterfly scales are actually modified, flattened SETAE (aka hairs) that either partially or entirely cover the wings of most species. Some look like roof tiles, like on this here monarch, while some look more thread-like Scales protect and insulate the insect, but underneath the wing is actually transparent! Some species, like the GLASSWING BUTTERFLY, lack scales and have totally amazing see-through wings! Scales are responsible for the coloration of butterfly wings in one of two ways. First of all, scales contain...
Post a Comment
Read more

#58: Tardigrades

Litinsects #58: Tardigrades Anyone recognize these weird-looking little guys? They are actually not insects, as a matter of fact they are not even arthropods but they are cool enough to deserve a post. These are TARDIGRADES, also known as water bears or moss piglets. They are best known for their bizarre abilities to survive some of the most extreme conditions imaginable... © Science Faction Images -As always, the name’s etymology describes them a bit. It comes from the Latin “tardus” meaning “slow” and “gradior” for “step/walk”. Their common name comes from the fact that their walk looks a bit like a bear’s -Tardigrades are a PHYLUM of animals consisting of around 1,300 species. (Side note: the TAXONOMIC LEVEL of a group has nothing to do with how many species it contains. For example phylum Arthropoda, a taxonomically equivalent category consists of around 1 million described species and possibly millions more not yet described!). -These animals are all microscopic, ranging in ...
Post a Comment
Read more

#60: Cockroaches

Litinsects #60: Cockroaches Cockroaches belong to the order BLATTODEA, which is derived from the Greek word “blatta” meaning cockroach. Did you know that the Blattodea contains cockroaches AND termites? That’s right; termites are actually considered a specialized group of cockroaches! They used to be classified in an entirely different order of insects but recent genetic studies found a closer relation to cockroaches than previously thought. -Roaches are characterized by their broad, flat bodies. They have long antennae and generalized chewing mouthparts. In contrast to many other insects, which have 3, cockroaches have only 2 ocelli (or simple eyes) -Most people consider roaches to be disgusting, disease-spreading pests. But of 4,500 species, only 30 live in human habitats and are considered pests -The common name is derived from the Spanish word for the insect, “cucaracha” -Cockroaches can be found in a wide variety of habitats around the world. Many live in the tropics but...
Post a Comment
Read more