It’s not unusual for earwigs to be active on mild days mid winter but they are, by nature, nocturnal. This one, a male, was grazing on algae from the fence post in broad daylight. He would be easy prey for a passing bird.
No matter. His biological destiny was fulfilled. Somewhere, probably concealed in a cavity excavated under a stone, his consort would already be tending her eggs, soon to be nymphs, with a level of parental care that is unusual among insects.
Such devotion ought to be enough for earwigs to be liked, because we tend to project what we consider human virtues and vices on to the rest of the living world and make value judgments accordingly.
What could be more admirable than unwavering maternal instinct? Unfortunately those menacing tail forceps are the earwigs’ public relations disaster. Add to that their love of crawling in to cavities – fuelling our fears that we may wake up with one in our ear. Then there is their tendency to nibble holes in the petals of gardeners’ prized dahlia and chrysanthemum blooms. They have irrevocably consigned themselves to the status of pest.
If only they’d reveal their wings. They are among the most beautiful carried by any native insect. A single pair, surprisingly large and shaped like Chinese fans, translucent and iridescent, lie tightly folded under a pair of modified, hardened forewings that carry them like a knapsack on the thorax. Yet, even in dire emergencies, they are never used.
There are very few records of anyone ever seeing this exquisite equipment unpacked; even fewer of earwigs in flight. In half a century of earwig encounters I’ve never once induced one to lift off. Perhaps repacking the wings is just too much trouble. It entails closing the fans like concertinas then folding each wing in half twice; said to involve some nifty work with those tail forceps.
Seeing one of these ubiquitous insects flying ought to be near the top of the bucket list for witnessing rare wildlife spectacles. I’m still waiting. This one just raised those threatening forceps, then dropped into the grass.
