# Breeding earwigs?



## 1Lord Of Ants1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Has anyone had luck doing this? Ring-legged earwigs and pretty common here, they don't have wings and have no appetite for plants unlike it's northern cousins. I find the egg-tending care of the females interesting, but I'm not sure how I can acclimate the 16 individuals to light.


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## AntyBarbie (Oct 31, 2010)

When I raise any critter, I do my best to recreate its natural habitat.  Observe how they become accustomed to light in the wild and you may get some interesting ideas.

I, too, find the egg and hatchinling tending quite fascinating, something rarely seen in insedts.
 (pardon typos. I was making a termite habitat and slipped with my dremel tool router bit.  Hit the side/end of my finger.Bandage makes it hard to type, but protects trhe wound pretty good.)


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## ZergFront (Nov 1, 2010)

I've only had experience breeding European earwigs - they eat live prey, scavange dead and eat plants. Yours might eat prekilled crickets or roaches or young live ones. The females lay eggs in moist substrate under a solid surface like bricks, logs, etc. They are nocturnal so new ones may be found with a flash light after dark. Keep the insects well fed. They can cannibalise when food becomes scarce. 

 I'm not sure if your spp. have a difference in curving forceps between the sexes.

Forgot one thing; you won't need to mate the females after every clutch. The females can store sperm from many males to lay many clutches.


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## khil (Nov 1, 2010)

ZergFront said:


> I've only had experience breeding European earwigs - they eat live prey, scavange dead and eat plants. Yours might eat prekilled crickets or roaches or young live ones. The females lay eggs in moist substrate under a solid surface like bricks, logs, etc. They are nocturnal so new ones may be found with a flash light after dark. Keep the insects well fed. They can cannibalise when food becomes scarce.
> 
> I'm not sure if your spp. have a difference in curving forceps between the sexes.
> 
> Forgot one thing; you won't need to mate the females after every clutch. The females can store sperm from many males to lay many clutches.


I had no idea eurpean earwigs were active hunters! At night, like you recommend, where do you suggest looking for them? Any way to set up something to trap/attract them?


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## ZergFront (Nov 1, 2010)

khil said:


> I had no idea eurpean earwigs were active hunters! At night, like you recommend, where do you suggest looking for them? Any way to set up something to trap/attract them?


 I've never used traps. I usually grab their forceps between my fingers. They do release a smell when you touch them though.

 You have a garden or anywhere you may find soft-bodied insects? Maybe find where the prey is and might find some earwigs. Since the species we have aren't too picky about what they eat, I find them on flowers. In the daytime, I find them under things where it's moist.


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## Bugs In Cyberspace (Nov 2, 2010)

I find them on pears beneath a tree in my backyard, even on the tree itself. I saw young in midsummer.

This is also a good time of year to collect them in the big bins of corn at your local grocery store!


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