General Information

COMMON NAMES: Black Earwig; German Ohrwürmer TRADITIONAL NAMES: Karaunga (MG) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: RANGE circumtropical, incl. Polynesia COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; S.Group - common and widespread; N.Group - common and widespread; Land, horticultural; on plants SIGNIFICANCE LIST: general biocontrol of other insects KEY FEATURES: Slender, glossy black insect, to 20mmBL. COLOUR glossy black; ANTENNAE w/wo two pale segments near tip; FEET (=tarsi) yellowish. FORCEPS (=pincers, = cerci) function variable: holding prey, folding the wings, defense, courtship. Readily fly. YOUNG more extensively yellowish.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++++	P

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
+			++

Chelisoches morio (Fabricius, 1775)
SYNONYMS: Forficula morio [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ARTHROPODA; ATELOCERATA; HEXAPODA; INSECTA; PTERYGOTA; Dermaptera; CHELISOCHIDAE

GENERAL NOTE: For more than 1000 years there has been a persistent folklore that earwigs climb into human ears at night, and then penetrate the brain to lay their eggs! Rather a terrifying thought - certainly the stuff of nightmares. In fact, earwigs are mainly vegetarian, and they lay their eggs in the ground. They are not anymore likely to climb into a human ear than any other crawling insect. The name "earwig" is most likely a corruption of the Saxon "ear-wicga" (ear-insect or ear-creature), and the name probably referred to the ear-like wings of the insect. A less likely origin of the name is as a corruption of "ear-wing" referring to the same feature. Nevertheless the name "earwig" probably plays a part in maintain the myth that they have an affinity for human ears. [G.McCormack 12/2004]

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Chelisoches morio.

References:
Special Reference: Hudson, L. (1974) Dermaptera of Niue Island, and material from the Cook Islands. NZ J. Zool. 1(1):45-49.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM04b, zD02

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