About the Black Earwig
Chelisoches morio, the black earwig, is a species of insect in the family Chelisochidae. It is an omnivore that can be found worldwide, however it is most prominent in tropical areas, Pacific islands, the Pacific Northwest, and damp environments. The adults are jet black and can range in size from 18 to 25mm in size, though some have grown to be 36mm. The males cerci are widely separated and serrated compared to the female. The forceps are used for prey capture, defense, fighting and courtship.
Chelisoches morio are most active at night, though normal behavior also occurs during the day. In addition to consuming prey such as aphids, leaf beetles, hoppers, mites, mealybugs and termites, C. morio also consume fruits such as bananas and dragon fruits.
Chelisoches morio have four instar stages before molting into adults. Females average about 140 eggs within one batch. The incubation period lasts about 5–7 days. Adult males live for about 60 days and adult females live for about 94 days. Once the eggs hatch into the first instar, the nymphs congregate by the mother. The female then takes one day to feed the newly hatched nymphs. Afterwards, the nymphs molt into their... Wikipedia →