Seaside earwigs

Definition

A common name for Anisolabis maritima, a cosmopolitan earwig species (Dermaptera: Anisolabididae) specialized for intertidal and coastal habitats. These earwigs are among the few insects adapted to saline environments, typically found under beach debris, driftwood, and wrack in the supralittoral zone where they feed on stranded organic matter and small invertebrates.

Etymology

English compound: 'seaside' for coastal habitat + 'earwigs' for the insect order Dermaptera

Example

Seaside earwigs (Anisolabis maritima) are frequently collected in pitfall traps set among beach wrack along Pacific coastlines, where their tolerance to salt spray and periodic inundation distinguishes them from strictly terrestrial earwig species such as Forficula auricularia.

Synonyms

• coastal earwig
• sea earwig
• beach earwig

Related Terms

• Dermaptera
• Anisolabididae
• intertidal zone
• supralittoral
• halophilic insects
• earwig
• wrack community
• cosmopolitan species

Usage Notes

The common name 'seaside earwigs' refers specifically to Anisolabis maritima, though it is occasionally applied loosely to other coastal-dwelling earwigs. Specialists prefer the scientific name to avoid confusion with the European earwig (Forficula auricularia), which may occur near coasts but lacks physiological adaptations to saline conditions. The species is notable for its amphi-Atlantic distribution and parthenogenetic reproduction in some populations.