Western Earwig

Western Earwig

Forficula dentata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at La Paz

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

8 Verified sightings at La Paz
111 In all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Western Earwig

Forficula dentata is a species of earwig in the family Forficulidae, commonly referred to as the Western earwig or European earwig. It was first described by Danish zoologist, Johan Christian Fabricius, in 1775. It is a cryptic species belonging to the Forficula auricularia species complex. Originally thought to be a synonym of F. auricularia, it has since been classified its own unique species. Being cryptic, it is often misidentified as F. auricularia or Forficula mediterranea, which differ in their distribution.

The distribution of F. dentata includes the British Isles, parts of Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, the Western United States and Canada. Other populations of this species include the Belarusian Central Botanic Gardens, Belarus; Newfoundland, Canada; and an individual near Gimmingen, Germany. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
2 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Egmont National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
5 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
7 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
8 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
3 La Paz 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
4 Madrid 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
5 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
7 Hobart 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
8 Auckland 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
9 Santiago 🇨🇱 Chile
~10%
10 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Western Earwig in La Paz?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Earwig sighting in La Paz on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 25th most-seen of the 32 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Western Earwig in La Paz?

January

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Western Earwig in La Paz on a given day, against under 5% in February–March and June–December, the lowest months. That is one of La Paz's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 10 mm in June.

What time of day is best to see a Western Earwig?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Earwig sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is La Paz the best place to see a Western Earwig?

Among the best

Of the 15 cities where we can rate Western Earwig sightings, La Paz ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Portland (United States, about 10%) and Melbourne (Australia, about 10%).

Where does the Western Earwig sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Western Earwig is recorded against all the insects logged in La Paz (8 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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