Sand earwig
| Sand earwig | ||||||||||||
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Sand earwig ( Labidura riparia ) (male) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Labidura riparia | ||||||||||||
| ( Pallas , 1773) |
The earwig ( Labidura riparia ) is a member of the earwigs (Dermaptera) and belongs to the family Labiduridae. It is the only European species of the species-poor genus Labidura .
features
The sand earwig becomes about 26 millimeters long and has long, only slightly curved pincers. In the male these have a small inner tooth behind the middle, in the female they are almost straight and only slightly curved at the end. The antennae have 25 to 30 segments. So far it has not been proven whether the sand earwig flies. However, its wings and flight muscles are relatively well developed, and as with the common earwig, only some of the animals may be able to fly. The legs, the pincers and the sides of the abdomen and the pronotum are yellowish from the reddish-brown basic color. The species is very variable, so that many forms were originally described under other names.
distribution
The species is widespread worldwide and is particularly common in the tropics, where it is likely to be found. The sand earwig is widespread in southern Europe (also on islands), north of the Alps it is only found locally, its range extends as far as the North Sea. In Germany it was found mainly on the Baltic Sea and in Brandenburg , but also in the brown coal mining areas of Saxony ; to the west it goes about as far as Hamburg . In Austria there are deposits near Vienna and Lake Neusiedl , in Switzerland on the Arve , Rhone and Ticino .
Way of life
The earwig lives mainly in moist, sandy soils on river and sea banks, but also in dry areas such as inland dunes, but only when the subsoil is damp. The large open-cast lignite mines offer suitable secondary habitats. Its diet consists mainly of dead insects , and weakened live insects are occasionally preyed on. He creates residential tubes in the sand, which are characterized by a characteristic triangular opening with a width of about three millimeters. Usually the tunnels run just a few centimeters below the surface, but for wintering, deep tunnels up to two meters deep are dug.
Reproduction
Mating takes place from May to September, 60–90 eggs are laid, which are carefully cared for. The larvae disperse after the first molt and create their own tubes. After about a hundred days, the animals have grown up, provided the imaginal molt takes place by September, otherwise they overwinter as larvae or nymphs .
literature
- Harz, K. (1957): Die Geradflügler Central Europe - Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena, 494 pages (pp. 451–453)
- Weidner, H. (1941): Occurrence and way of life of the sand earworm Labidura riparia - Zool. Number 133 (9/10): 185-202.
