EARWIG, an orthopterous insect, forming type of a family, For ficulidce. This insect has generally a habit of concealing itself in cavities, endeavoring to reach their innermost recesses and in some rare cases may have sought a hid ing place in the ear, but its passage into the in ternal ear would be stopped either by the waxy secretions or by the tympanic mem brane. In any case, there is not much basis for the legend that it is in the habit of creep ing into the ears of sleepers. The common earwig (F. auricularia) is found throughout Europe, in North Africa, Asia Minor and North America. It has a length of from two-fifths to two-thirds of an inch; the antennz are thread-like, and the number of joints is 15. The fore wings are short, horny and some what rectangular, but the larger hind wings are thin and mainly membranous and fold up some what like a fan under the fore wings. The last segment of the abdomen carries a pair of curved, horny, pincher-like appendages, which in the male are toothed at the base. The eggs are laid in spring, about 20 at a time, and are carefully protected by the female. The young
earwigs differ little except in size from the mature insects; they are guarded by the mother during the first period of their exist ence. Earwigs shun light as far as possible and this habit is taken advantage of by gar deners to catch them and destroy them. How ever, their partly predatory habits benefit the gardener by destroying more obnoxious in sects. In the daytime they may be found in various situations, such as beneath the bark of trees, under stones, in the soil, or in any suit able hole. They feed on fruits, seeds, leaves and flowers, and at times on animal refuse. Eight other species of this genus are found in Europe. In the Chelidura, repre sented in Europe by nine species, the wings are altogether wanting. Labia is another genus with only one European species (L. mtuor), which is common in Great Britain about ma nure heaps and similar habitats. See OrrHoe TEzA.