Labiduridae
Encyclopedia
Labiduridae, whose members are known commonly as striped earwigs, is a relatively large family of earwig
s in the suborder Forficulina
.Labidura riparia
, commonly known as the tawny earwig, and Gonolabidura meteor. The family is mostly cosmopolitan
, so it can be found around the world. The family's members are moderate to large earwigs, and are cylindrically shaped with well-developed wings. They have especially long antennae
, while some segments can be shorter, and large cerci
.
Earwig
Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera, found throughout the Americas, Africa, Eurasia, Australia and New Zealand. With 1,800 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders...
s in the suborder Forficulina
Forficulina
Forficulina is the largest of the four suborders of earwigs, in the order Dermaptera. The other three are Archidermaptera, which is extinct, Arixeniina, and Hemimerina. They make up the largest and most familiar group. The cerci are unsegmented, and modified into large, forcep-like structures...
.Labidura riparia
Labidura riparia
Labidura riparia, commonly referred to as the tawny earwig, giant earwig, striped earwig, riparian earwig, or common brown earwig, is a species of earwig in the suborder Forficulina. They have a lighter color than most other earwigs, which are usually brown, lending to their name, the "tawny earwig"...
, commonly known as the tawny earwig, and Gonolabidura meteor. The family is mostly cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
, so it can be found around the world. The family's members are moderate to large earwigs, and are cylindrically shaped with well-developed wings. They have especially long antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
, while some segments can be shorter, and large cerci
Cercus
Cerci are paired appendages on the rear-most segments of many arthropods, including insects and arachnids but not crustaceans. Cerci often serve as sensory organs, but they may also be used as weapons or copulation aids, or they may simply be vestigial structures.Typical cerci may appear to be...
.
External links
- The Earwig Research Centre's Labiduridae database Source for references: type Labiduridae in the "family" field and click "search".
- Australian Faunal Directory: Labiduridae
- An image of the family.