TQ4792 26/11/2017 ©Raymond Small

Forficula auricularia

According to folklore Earwigs were named because they crawled into ears of sleeping humans to burrow into the brain and lay eggs. However, there is no evidence to support this. Entomologists have a different opinion and suggest that the name actually refers to the hindwings which resemble a human ear when unfolded. Males has curved pincers whereas female pincers are straighter.

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