Earwigs are flat, elongated insects that are most easily recognized by the pair of claw-like pincers at the tip of their abdomen. Adults of the most common species, the European earwig, are about 5/8 inch (16 mm) long and dark reddish-brown, with a reddish head and yellow-brown legs. If you’ve flipped over a rock or a flower pot and spotted one, those rear pincers are what made you do a double take.
The Pincers: An Earwig’s Signature Feature
The most recognizable part of an earwig is the pair of forceps (also called cerci) extending from the back of its body. They look like small curved claws or tongs, and they’re hard to miss. Earwigs use them for defense, capturing small prey, and folding their wings. Despite their intimidating appearance, the pincers are not dangerous to people. They can give a light pinch if you handle one, but they can’t break skin in most cases.
The shape of the pincers also tells you whether you’re looking at a male or female. Males have thick, short, curved forceps that arc inward like a set of tongs. Females have thinner, longer, straighter ones that run nearly parallel. On male European earwigs, forceps length varies quite a bit: some males have pincers about 3/16 inch long, while others sport pincers nearly twice that size at 3/8 inch.
Body Shape, Color, and Size
An earwig’s body is noticeably flat and narrow, which is why they’re so good at squeezing into tight crevices. Their color ranges from light reddish-brown to nearly black depending on the species. The European earwig, the one most people encounter in North America and Europe, has a dark reddish-brown body, a distinctly reddish head, and pale yellow-brown legs. Another common species, the ring-legged earwig, is darker, black on top with a yellowish underside, and has conspicuous dark bands across its legs.
Most earwigs you’ll find around the house fall in the range of 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, not counting the pincers. That’s roughly the size of a penny’s diameter. Their six legs are relatively short, their antennae are long and thread-like, and their overall silhouette is sleek enough that they’re sometimes mistaken for small beetles at a glance. The flat body and rear pincers, though, set them apart from any beetle.
Wings You Rarely See
One of the most surprising things about earwigs is that many species actually have wings and can fly. You’d never guess it from looking at one. The front pair of wings are short, hard, and leathery, sitting like tiny shields that barely cover the first few segments of the abdomen. Underneath those covers, the hind wings are hidden, and they’re remarkable: when unfolded, they expand to more than ten times their folded size, opening like an elaborate paper fan.
The hind wing uses a system of creases and a flexible protein in its joints that lets it snap between a stable folded position and a stable open position, almost like a pop-up tent. This design gives earwigs slow-flight capability, a wide range of speeds, and good maneuverability in the air. That said, most people never witness an earwig in flight. They prefer running, and they fly only occasionally, usually at night.
What Young Earwigs Look Like
Baby earwigs, called nymphs, look like miniature versions of the adults but with a few key differences. They’re white to olive-green when young, much paler than the dark brown adults. They also lack wings entirely. As they grow through several molts, they gradually darken, develop their wing covers, and their pincers become more defined. By the time they reach full adult size, their coloring has deepened to the typical reddish-brown or black, and their stubby front wings are visible.
How to Tell Earwigs Apart From Similar Insects
Earwigs are sometimes confused with a few other household insects. Here’s how to tell the difference:
- Silverfish have a tapered, carrot-shaped body with three tail-like filaments at the back, not pincers. They’re silvery-gray and move in a distinctive fish-like wiggle.
- Small beetles may share an earwig’s dark coloring and hard body, but beetles lack the rear forceps and tend to have a rounder, more compact shape.
- Cockroach nymphs can be a similar size and color, but they have a broader, more oval body with no pincers at the rear.
If the insect has a flat, narrow body with a clear pair of pincers at the tail end, it’s an earwig. No other common household insect has that combination.