A certain businessman once said, “I didn’t get where I am today by messing about with earwigs!” But he was missing something.
Jambo, Mr. Nature here–with earwigs. The ones in the video are bigger than the ones we find in our gardens, but otherwise the same.
I’ve always wondered about those “pincers” on the south end of a northbound earwig. All the other bugs have their pincers up front, like politicians. So having them where a tail ought to be seems an odd procedure. But it works for them.
These “cerci,” as scientists call them, function just like real pincers. They might as well be real pincers: male earwigs fight with them. I never knew that–did you? So, yes, an earwig could pinch you if you picked it up in your hand; but the damage would be so minimal as to be hardly worth mentioning.
Don’t panic if you find some in your garden. They mind their own business and will not harm your fruits or flowers. They won’t harm you, either.
God’s stuff is just so cool.
Yuk. (To quote Lydia, and I hope she’s doing well.) Up to four legs, it’s my friend. After that we part company.
I can’t think of any other animal that has pincers on its rear end.
Interesting. I didn’t know their butt spikes were called cerci. I take the little boogers out in the home’s official bug glass w/ postcard – the very same used for wasps & spiders. They just want to live, same as everything else. They just need to live outside.