Bug FAQLesser Earwig
Labia minor · Order: Dermaptera · Family: Spongiphoridae
The lesser earwig is a small, chocolate-brown insect about 4 to 7 mm long. It lives in warm spots like active compost heaps and feeds on decaying plant material.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its body is chocolate brown, less shiny than the common earwig, and covered with fine yellow hairs; the antennae are paler.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure 4 to 7 mm from head to the tip of the pincers.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found worldwide in temperate regions, preferring warm places such as active compost heaps.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It eats decaying plant matter and other detritus.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females care for their eggs and newly hatched young for one to two weeks, feeding them directly.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is widespread in temperate zones globally, but its native status in North America is uncertain.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Unlike the common earwig, the lesser earwig flies frequently.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 42 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Michigan, New York, Virginia, Illinois, Kansas, Alabama, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell a lesser earwig from a common earwig?
The lesser earwig is smaller (4 to 7 mm), chocolate brown and less shiny, with fine yellow hairs and paler antennae, and it flies more often.
Source: Wikipedia
Where might I find a lesser earwig in my garden?
Look in warm, moist spots such as active compost heaps or other decaying organic material.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labia_minor
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.