Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 24, 2026

Forficulidae

Forficulidae is a family of earwigs in the order Dermaptera. There are more than 70 genera and more than 500 described species in Forficulidae.

Last revised
Jul 24, 2026
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≈ 2 min
Length
562 w
Citations
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Wikipedia ↗
Forficulidae
Temporal range:
Forficula auricularia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Dermaptera
Suborder: Neodermaptera
Infraorder: Epidermaptera
Superfamily: Forficuloidea
Family: Forficulidae
Latreille, 1810
Subfamilies

Forficulidae is a family of earwigs in the order Dermaptera. There are more than 70 genera and more than 500 described species in Forficulidae.1234567

Species in this family include Forficula auricularia (the European earwig or common earwig) and Apterygida media (the short-winged earwig or hop-garden earwig).

Forficulidae was formerly considered a suborder of Dermaptera, Forficulina, but was reduced in rank to family and placed in suborder Neodermaptera.57

Timomenus komarovi source ↗

Genera

  • Acanthocordax Günther, 1929
  • Afrocosmia Hincks, 1960
  • Afroforficula Steinmann, 1990
  • Allodahlia Verhoeff, 1902
  • Ancistrogaster Stal, 1855
  • Anechura Scudder, 1876
  • Apterygida Westwood, 1840
  • Brachycosmiella Steinmann, 1990
  • Brindleiana Steinmann, 1975
  • Chaetocosmia Nishikawa, 1973
  • Chamaipetes Burr, 1907
  • Chelidura Latreille, 1825
  • Chelidurella Verhoeff, 1902
  • Cipex Burr, 1910
  • Cordax Burr, 1910
  • Cosmiella Verhoeff, 1902
  • Cosmiola Bey-Bienko, 1959
  • Diaperasticus Burr, 1907
  • Doru Burr, 1907
  • Dubianus Estrada-Alvarez & Nunez-Bazan, 2022
  • Elaunon Burr, 1907
  • Eparchus Burr, 1907
  • Eudohrnia Burr, 1907
  • Eulithinus Hincks, 1935
  • Eumegalura Bey-Bienko, 1934
  • Eutimomena Bey-Bienko, 1970
  • Forcepsia Moreira, 1930
  • Forficula Linnaeus, 1758
  • Guanchia Burr, 1911
  • Hypocosmiella Steinmann, 1993
  • Hypurgus Burr, 1907
  • Kleter Burr, 1907
  • Liparura Burr, 1907
  • Lipodes Burr, 1907
  • Litocosmia Hebard, 1917
  • Mesasiobia Semenov, 1908
  • Mesochelidura Verhoeff, 1902
  • Mesolabia Shiraki, 1905
  • Metresura Rehn, 1922
  • Mixocosmia Borelli, 1909
  • Neocosmiella Hebard, 1919
  • Neolobophora Scudder, 1875
  • Neoopisthocosmia Steinmann, 1990
  • Neopterygida Srivastava, 1984
  • Obelura Burr, 1907
  • Opisthocosmia Dohrn, 1865
  • Oreasiobia Semenov, 1936
  • Osteulcus Burr, 1907
  • Parachelidura Chen, 2024
  • Paracosmia Borelli, 1909
  • Paracosmiella Steinmann, 1990
  • Paradohrnia Shiraki, 1928
  • Parasondax Srivastava, 1978
  • Parasyntonus Steinmann, 1990
  • Paratimomenus Steinmann, 1974
  • Pareparchus Burr, 1911
  • Parlax Burr, 1911
  • Perirrhytus Burr, 1911
  • Praos Burr, 1907
  • Proforficula Steinmann, 1990
  • Prosadiya Hebard, 1923
  • Pseudochelidura Verhoeff, 1902
  • Pterygida Verhoeff, 1902
  • Sarcinatrix Rehn, 1903
  • Setocordax Brindle, 1970
  • Skalistes Burr, 1907
  • Sondax Burr, 1910
  • Spinosocordax Steinmann, 1988
  • Tauropygia Brindle, 1970
  • Timomenus Burr, 1907
  • Tristanella Borelli, 1909

Also there are 3 fossil genera known:

  • † Apanechura Zhang, 1989
  • † Forficulites Statz, 1939
  • † Hadanechura Zhang Junfeng, Sun Bo & Zhang Xiyu, 1994

Some other fossil genera may belong to this family, but their exact position is uncertain:

  • † Chelisoficula Nel, Waller, Albouy, Menier & de Ploeg, 2003
  • † Rupiforficula Engel & Chatzimanolis, 2010
References

References

  1. "Forficulidae Latreille, 1810". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  2. "Forficulidae Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  3. "Forficulidae". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  4. Engel, Michael S. (2003). "The earwigs of Kansas, with a key to genera north of Mexico (Insecta: Dermaptera)". Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. 106 (3): 115–123. doi:10.1660/0022-8443(2003)106[0115:TEOKWA]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 3628391.
  5. Lesley, S.D. (2018). "family Forficulidae Stephens, 1829". Dermaptera species file online, Version 5.0. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  6. Engel, Michael S.; Haas, Fabian (2007). "Family-Group Names for Earwigs (Dermaptera)". American Museum Novitates (3567). American Museum of Natural History: 1. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2007)539[1:FNFED]2.0.CO;2. hdl:2246/5858.
Further reading

Further reading

  • Giles, E. T. (1963). "The comparative external morphology and affinities of the Dermaptera". Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London. 115 (4): 95–164. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.1963.tb00816.x.
  • Jarvis, Karl J.; Haas, Fabian; Whiting, Michael F. (2005). "Phylogeny of earwigs (Insecta: Dermaptera) based on molecular and morphological evidence: reconsidering the classification of Dermaptera". Systematic Entomology. 30 (3): 442–453. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2004.00276.x. ISSN 0307-6970. S2CID 85718043.
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