Forficula auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Common Earwig)

Subtaxon Example images Rank Featured
subtaxa		 No of
images		 No of
ID refs
Forficula auricularia form forcipata
Common Earwig - Large Forcep Form
Male (Click to open)
 		Form 15 images
Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesForficula auricularia (Common Earwig)
GenusForficula (a genus of earwigs)
FamilyFORFICULIDAE (a family of earwigs)
OrderDERMAPTERA (earwigs)
Division Exopterygota (earwigs, grasshoppers, stoneflies, true bugs, and other insects with wings developing externally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Forficula auricularia (Common Earwig) :
1: Forficula auricularia (Common Earwig)
22 Jul 2005 OSGR: SU47 51° 30’ N, 1° 20’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Visiting Ragwort
Image 1: Female - on Ragwort - close-up - enlargedImage 2: Female - on Ragwort - close-up - enlarged (2)
2: Forficula auricularia (Common Earwig)
21 Jul 2003 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Heath Trap 20/21 July 03
Image 1: Female - dorsal viewImage 2: Female - ventral viewImage 3: Female - head and thorax - magnifiedImage 4: Female - pincers - dorsal - magnified
3: Forficula auricularia (Common Earwig)
14 Jul 1971 OSGR: TQ20 50° 50’ N, 0° 10’ W Vice County: East Sussex (VC 14) England
Immature
Image 1: Female - immature - dorsal view
4: Forficula auricularia (Common Earwig)
3 Dec 1970 OSGR: TG10 52° 40’ N, 1° 10’ E Vice County: East Norfolk (VC 27) England
Female with eggs under Peziza cerea growing on wall
Image 1: Female - dorsal viewImage 2: Female - lateral view

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Gonzalez-Miguens, R., Munoz-Nozal, E., Jimenez-Ruiz, Y., Mas-Peinado, P., Ghanavi, H.R. & Garcia-Paris, M. 2020 Speciation patterns in the Forficula auricularia species complex: cryptic and not so cryptic taxa across the western Palaearctic region Zoological Journal of the Linnaean Society Vol 20: 1-36.

Forficula auricularia (Common Earwig) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Forficula auricularia (Common Earwig)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 2 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Forficula auricularia (Common Earwig)
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