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Euborellia moesta caring for eggs Earwigs are known for their maternal care. Eggs are laid in a closed shelter in the ground and the mother guards the eggs, cleans them of fungus and moves them around while doing so. You don&#039;t often have a chance to shoot images of this in the field. This mother laid her eggs during transport in captivity, but I was able to transfer the eggs to a shelter that I had prepared in a layer of dirt in a box and after reuniting her she continued caring and successfully raised her kids.<br />
In these images you see her picking up an egg and moving it carefully: <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48211/euborellia_moesta_grabbing_an_egg.html" title="Euborellia moesta grabbing an egg"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3043/48211_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=Wwgm4cy%2Bdg27i%2BSZ%2BSp%2BFHqnl3Y%3D" width="200" height="134" alt="Euborellia moesta grabbing an egg This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Eggs,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Parental care" /></a></figure>  <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48213/euborellia_moesta_moving_an_egg.html" title="Euborellia moesta moving an egg"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3043/48213_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=QWBCVfCOsfxnj8RrlYxVJE0816A%3D" width="200" height="150" alt="Euborellia moesta moving an egg This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Eggs,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Parental care" /></a></figure><br />
These are images of the still small (just over 4mm) nymphs, about one month later. They stick together in a clutter for a long time even after the mother has succumbed:<br />
<figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48212/euborellia_moesta_nest_of_nymphs.html" title="Euborellia moesta nest of nymphs"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3043/48212_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=sfNuOYX6Gkjg83sEHFBQs%2FAsVYM%3D" width="200" height="150" alt="Euborellia moesta nest of nymphs This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Nymph,Parental care" /></a></figure>  <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48214/euborellia_moesta_nymphs.html" title="Euborellia moesta nymphs"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3043/48214_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=MBK2vA%2FqZR%2B%2FY07RgD0O0YiG05o%3D" width="200" height="114" alt="Euborellia moesta nymphs This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Nymph" /></a></figure>  <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48209/euborellia_moesta_nymph.html" title="Euborellia moesta nymph"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3043/48209_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=yr0Vy94UZ85mSesLk1sU%2BWN5bos%3D" width="200" height="150" alt="Euborellia moesta nymph This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Nymph" /></a></figure> Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Eggs,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Parental care Click/tap to enlarge Promoted

Euborellia moesta caring for eggs

Earwigs are known for their maternal care. Eggs are laid in a closed shelter in the ground and the mother guards the eggs, cleans them of fungus and moves them around while doing so. You don't often have a chance to shoot images of this in the field. This mother laid her eggs during transport in captivity, but I was able to transfer the eggs to a shelter that I had prepared in a layer of dirt in a box and after reuniting her she continued caring and successfully raised her kids.
In these images you see her picking up an egg and moving it carefully:

Euborellia moesta grabbing an egg This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Eggs,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Parental care
Euborellia moesta moving an egg This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Eggs,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Parental care

These are images of the still small (just over 4mm) nymphs, about one month later. They stick together in a clutter for a long time even after the mother has succumbed:
Euborellia moesta nest of nymphs This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Nymph,Parental care
Euborellia moesta nymphs This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Nymph
Euborellia moesta nymph This image is part of a series showing some aspects of parental care by the earwig Euborellia moesta.<br />
Explanation with this image:  https://www.jungledragon.com/image/48210/euborellia_moesta_caring_for_eggs.html Anisolabididae,Carcinophorinae,Dermaptera,Euborellia,Euborellia moesta,Nymph

    comments (3)

  1. Another mind-blowing post, not only in completeness and accuracy, but it's also a great story. Although the motherly care surely it is based on instinct, few people empathize with insects or know about such behavior. Even more so in the case of earwigs, which so many people find disgusting. Posted 8 years ago
    1. Thanks Ferdy - stumbled on the series while looking for something else and figured it would be worthwhile to sort out some of the images. Quite like the ones of mom moving her eggs around myself :o) Posted 8 years ago
      1. "MotherEarwig" would be a fitting name :) Posted 8 years ago

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''Euborellia moesta'' is a species of earwig in the genus ''Euborellia'', the subfamily Carcinophorinae of the family Anisolabididae in the suborder Forficulina of the order Dermaptera.

Similar species: Earwigs
Species identified by Pudding4brains
View Pudding4brains's profile

By Pudding4brains

Public Domain
Uploaded Jan 4, 2017.