Earwig - Forficula auricularia

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Status : Allied - Neutral

Description : 

- Adult : brown, about 1.5 cm long terminating in impressive pincers, fortunately safe for human. 

- Young : smaller and less coloured.

Biology and life cycle :

This insect is polyphagus, feeding on higher plants, lichens, fungi and animal prey.
About 80 eggs are laid from November to January, followed in March-April by a second batch containing fewer eggs in Europe. 
- There is only 1 generation per year. 
- Eggs from each egg-laying period (there are up to 3 egg-laying periods, the last one taking place in the summer) give rise to distinct broods.

Damage

I have never noted a damage on my Pinguicula.

It is not the same in your garden where sometimes, earwigs can attack few mature fruits. 

 

Generally they seem to do more good than harm : Earwigs are useful predators of pests like aphids for exemple, insect larvae, snails and slow-moving insects. Many growers use earwigs as living and easy to catch prey, for feeding their Nepenthes, Sarracenia and Heliamphora. It is said that earwigs are very benefit for feeding Heliamphora.

Solutions :

Biological fight :  

No need. Natural predators of earwigs include toads, birds and insect predators.

Chemical fight : possible but really no need. 

 

If you really want to get rid of these hosts, build up the following trap : roll up a moistened newspaper. Place the trap on the soil of your greenhouse at the end of the afternoon just before night. As earwigs love tight, dark places, they will invade the newspaper and stay there all night long even in the early morning. In the morning, shake the earwigs into soapy water to kill them. Continue to put traps every day until you are no longer catching earwigs in your greenhouse.  

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