Penis-asymmetry
Guides
Labidura riparia
shore earwig, tawny earwig, striped earwig, riparian earwig
Labidura riparia is a cosmopolitan earwig species found primarily in tropical to subtropical regions. It exhibits complex subsocial behavior with maternal care of eggs and young. The species is a generalist predator valued for biological pest control, with documented predation on Lepidoptera larvae, insect eggs, and crop pests including the Asian corn borer and Mediterranean fruit fly pupae. Males possess two functional penises but show a 90% preference for the right penis during copulation, a behavioral asymmetry unique among earwigs.