Can earwigs fly?

Yes, they can: unsettling news for some, we know, but nevertheless important.

Earwigs (Forficula auricularia s.l.) have two pairs of wings but the forewings have been adapted to provide hard leathery wing cases for the more delicate hindwings, which are the ones that do the actual flying. The hind wings are folded safely into the wing cases out of harm’s way.

Many ground-dwelling insects have sacrificed the flight function of their forewings to protect their hindwings in this way, but earwigs do it masterfully: no other insect can fold its wings away into its elytra quite as compactly and efficiently as can an earwig.

In the diagram, the wing cases (called elytra) are rectangular, and cover only the thorax; the wings are folded up inside.

Space engineers, looking for solutions to the complex problems of pre-programming space technology, have turned their attention to earwig wings and have discovered a unique folding pattern, which the fossil record shows is at least 280 million years old.

They have copied that folding mechanism and are designing it into devices that will be fired into space and unfolded when they get there: for instance, photovoltaic panels and antennae reflectors for spacecraft. There are more down to earth applications as well: fold-out drone wings, compact umbrellas and fans.

So, the next time an earwig pops out of a dahlia, pincers raised, and makes you jump, salute its contribution to science.

Header image: earwig by tom_bullock (CC BY 2.0) flickr.com