Subclass Pterygota:
Pterous (winged) insects, develop by metamorphosis
Division Exopterygota
(exo = outer; pteron = wing)
Orthopteroid orders
(orthos = straight; pteron = wing)
Order Dermaptera
(derma = skin; pteron = wing)
COMMON NAME: Earwigs
QUICK DESCRIPTION: Earwigs are slender bodied with a large pincer-like "tail". (Although earwigs can bite with these pincers, they do not crawl into people's ears and bite.) Some species have wings (but few fly). The young hatch from eggs and the female adults feed and protect them until they are independent, which is very unusual for insects. Earwigs feed on plants, organic waste and other insects.
MINUTE DETAIL: Generally elongate insects; head with biting mouthparts and multisegemented antennae, compound eyes present, ocelli absent; wings generally present, forewings modified into short smooth veinless tegmina, hind wings semicircular and membranous with veins arranged radially, legs subequal and with three-segmented tarsi; abdomen with unsegmented forcepslike cerci; ovipositor of females reduced or absent.
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