Harmless. The pincers can deliver a pinch that rarely breaks skin, and there is no venom and no sting. It does not go into ears, and it does not lay eggs in anybody's brain.
Size12–15 mm including forceps
MarkingsA pair of forceps at the rear — curved in males, straight in females · Flat reddish-brown body, 12–15 mm, with a shiny finish
WhereDamp sheltered crevices — under plant pots, in mulch, beneath bark, in dahlia and chrysanthemum blooms, and in door frames and window seals.
SeasonMost conspicuous late summer and autumn
How to tell it apart
A pair of forceps at the rear — curved in males, straight in females
Flat reddish-brown body, 12–15 mm, with a shiny finish
Very short wing cases with the folded wings hidden beneath
Fast on foot, and rarely seen flying despite being able to
Found in tight damp gaps by day: under pots, in flower heads, behind bark
Where you’ll find it
Across the United States, introduced from Europe and now widespread.
Damp sheltered crevices — under plant pots, in mulch, beneath bark, in dahlia and chrysanthemum blooms, and in door frames and window seals.
Most conspicuous late summer and autumn.
How it behaves
The forceps are used against other earwigs and against predators, and to help fold the wings away — they are a tool more than a weapon. What is genuinely remarkable about this insect is maternal care, which is close to unique among non-social insects: the female guards her eggs through winter, cleans them individually against mould, and continues to tend the nymphs after they hatch. In gardens they eat aphids as well as soft petals, so the ledger is mixed rather than simply negative.
You’ve found one indoors
Usually nothing. Indoors they are wanderers rather than residents and can be put back outside. If they are damaging blooms, removing damp harbourage near the plants — mulch piles, upturned pots, boards on soil — does more than spraying, because it removes where they spend the day.
Common questions
Do earwigs go in your ears?
No. The name is centuries old folklore with nothing behind it. They seek tight damp crevices, and an ear is neither a good nor a chosen one. There is no burrowing into brains.
Do earwigs bite?
They pinch rather than bite, with the rear forceps, and it seldom breaks skin. No venom, no sting, nothing that needs treating.
Are they damaging my garden?
It depends what you grow. They chew soft petals and seedlings, and they also eat aphids and other soft-bodied pests. Many gardeners come out ahead by leaving them.
What is the difference between males and females?
The forceps. Males have strongly curved, well-separated pincers; females have straighter, narrower ones. It is one of the easier sexes to tell apart in any insect.
Tynen Benson · CC-BY