PROJECT IN

ENTOMOLOGY“DERMAPTERA”

Submitted to:

Ms. Linsay Panoy

Prepared by:

Christiana Lyn Caole

OR

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PTER

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I. A. ORIGIN OF NAME

Greek words derma, skin (texture); ptera, wing, refers to the thickened forewings that cover and protect the hind wings

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B. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICSThe characteristics which distinguish the order Dermaptera from other insect orders are: General body shape: Elongate; dorso-

ventrally flattened. Head: Prognathous. Antennae are

segmented. Biting-type mouthparts or the Chewing (mandibulate) mouthparts

Ocelli absent. Compound eyes in most species, reduced or absent in some taxa.

Appendages: Two pairs of wings normally present. The forewings and hindwings.

Abdomen: Cerci are unsegmented and resemble forceps. The ovipositor in females is reduced or absent.

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ANTENNAE - are short and are used for exploring the surface area just ahead of them

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PRESENCE OF WINGS 1. Wingless (species under suborder

Hemimerina. )

An adult Epizoic earwig (Hemimerus sp.)

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2. Winged ( 2 pairs) for adults Front wings- The forewings are modified into short smooth, veinless

tegmina that serve as protective covers for the hind wings Hind wings - membranous rounded with radiating veins folded beneath front

wings. They are large, fan-shaped and pleated. They fold (both length-wise and cross-wise) to fit beneath the front wings when not in use. 

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ABDOMINAL SEGMENTS Males - 10-segment abdomen Females - 8-segment abdomen apparent

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CERCI

attached at the last abdomenal segment.

They are enlarged and thickened to form pincers (forceps). 

Pincers - are used in grooming, defense, courtship, and even to help fold the hind wings for holding prey, and in copulation. Earwigs individual's sex is

determined by the shape of its cerci.   relatively straight in females, more

curved in males.  In some species, the males have asymmetrical cerci.

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C. CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)Class Insecta (Insects)

•Order Dermaptera (Earwigs)

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SUBORDERS

1. Forficulina -  They make up the largest and most familiar group. The cerci are unsegmented, and modified into large, forcep-like structures.

2. Arixeniinae is represented by two genera, Arixenia andXeniaria with a total of five species in them:Arixenia esau  and Xeniaria jacobsoni being the most well-known.

3. Archidermaptera  - the only extinct suborder of earwigs, known only from Jurassic fossils.Also known as Fossil Dermaptera. The suborder is classified on the basis of general similarities. They have unsegmented cerci and tarsi with four to five segments.

4. Hemimerina are wingless, blind and viviparous ectoparasites and have filiform segmented cerci. The most well known species is Hemimerus bouvieri.

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Archidermaptera

SUBORDERS

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FAMILIES

1. Forficulidae (Common earwings) -- This family includes several cosompolitan species, including Doru eculeatum and Forficula auricularia.

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Labiduridae -- Reddish-brown earwings with long cerci.  Labidura riparia is the only member of this family found in the United States.

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Carcinophoridae -- Dark brown or black insects with reddish brown legs and small cerci.  The family includes one very common species, Euborellia annulipes.

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Labiidae – known as little earwigs. members are small, winged earwigs, generally less than 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) in length

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5. Chelisochidae - commonly known as black earwigs

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6. Pygidicranidae do not have any ocelli. They are small, flattened-looking body, which has a dense covering of bristly hairs (setae).  Cannibalism of young has been observed in at least one species in the family, Challia hongkongensis, in which an adult female was found eating a still-living nymph of the same species.

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D. L IFE CYCLE Type of metamorphosis: Hemimetabola

incomplete development (egg, nymph, adult). 4 to 6 molts.The developmental stages between molts are called instars.

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II. PHYSICAL FEATURES

Adults: Antennae slender, beaded Mouthparts mandibulate, prognathous Tarsi 3-segmented Front wings short and leathery Hind wings semicircular and pleated Cerci enlarged to form pincers (forceps)

Immatures: Structurally similar to adults Developing wingpads may be visible on

thorax 

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III. BIOLOGICAL SUMMARY FOR THE ORDER

A. Life history overwinter as adults, usually one generation/year

B. Collecting and preserving Collect in alcohol or pin (most in right tegman or wing,

like a beetle) Collect from under bark, grasses, roots, mullin, some

from light pit-fall traps

C. Significance Most are not pests, except for Forficula Auricularia

(European earwig); substantial damage to vegetable crops, ornamentals and fruit trees

 

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D. Habitat and Habits Nocturnal . Earwigs are sensitive to heat and

dryness, so they usually hide in cool, dark places during the day and come out at night.Hide during day - cracks, crevices, under bark, protected places (e.g., under my deck)

Eating habits: Mostly Scavengers - dead and decaying plant material, but also on tender plants but some are omnivorous or predatory

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Female guards eggs until hatched Another distinct maternal care unique to earwigs is that the mother continuously cleans the eggs to protect them from fungi When the eggs were replaced after hatching, the mother continued to clean them for up to 3 months.

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FACTS:

Most earwigs are flattened (which allows them to fit inside tight crevices, such as under bark) with an elongated body generally 7–50 millimetres (0.28–1.97 in) long.

The largest certainly extant species is the Australian giant earwig (Titanolabis colossea).

The possibly extinct Saint Helena earwig (Labidura herculeana) .