Earwig

The common name of "earwig" comes from an old European superstition that these insects enter the ears of sleeping people and bore into the brain.  Of course this belief is without foundation.

Adults about 1/4"-1" long with an elongate body, flattened in form.  The coloring varies from pale brown with dark markings to uniformly reddish brown to black, but with paler legs.  Earwigs have four wings, their antennae are threadlike, about half the body length.  Cerci well developed and forceps like but usually differ in shape in the sexes.  Nymphs are similar to adults but have no wings.

Earwigs typically overwinter outdoors as adults in protected situations.  The females lay and tend their eggs in these underground situations and then tend the newly hatched nymphs.  The females can lay between 30-55 eggs. 

Earwigs have a distinctive disagreeable odor which is released when they are crushed, but some species can squirt such a liquid.  They typically live in groups.  Red-legged earwigs have been reported to cause minor skin abrasions in humans.  The forceps like cerci are apparently used as both offensive and defensive weapons, and are sometimes used to capture prey.

Earwigs are nocturnal and hide during the day in moist, shady places such as under stones or logs, or in mulch.  Neither the eggs nor the nymphs can withstand long periods of dryness.

Earwigs feed on live or dead plants and/or insects.  At times they damage cultivated plants.  Earwigs are attracted to lights or to insects attracted to lights. 

(Insect Information excerpted from the NPCA Field Guide to Structural Pests)