Anisolabella marginalis — identification & habitat

Anisolabella marginalis is a dark, wingless earwig from East Asia. It has pale legs, a white band near the tip of each antenna, and pincers at the end of its body. In a small Japanese laboratory study, females cleaned their eggs and stayed with the young through their first molt.

Appearance

Appearance: Adults are about 0.8–1.3 in (20–33 mm) long, dark, and wingless. The legs are pale with dark coloring near their bases, and the antennae have a pale band near the tips.

Look-alikes

Maritime EarwigAnisolabis maritima

This species has a pale band near the end of each antenna and dark marks near the bases of its pale legs. Maritime Earwig has mostly uniform-colored antennae and legs.

Why they get mixed upBoth are large, dark, wingless earwigs.

Ring-legged EarwigEuborellia annulipes

Ring-legged Earwig is usually smaller at 1/2–2/3 in (12–16 mm), with distinct dark rings across the middle of its pale legs. This species is usually larger, with the dark color concentrated near the leg bases.

Why they get mixed upBoth can have dark bodies, pale legs, no wings, and pale bands near the antennal tips.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: leaf litter
under stones
rotting wood
Range: It occurs in East Asia, especially Korea and Japan, with records from China and Taiwan. It is not known to have an established U.S. population.
Preferred conditions: It shelters in dark, covered places near the ground and becomes active at night.

Behavior

Diet: In Japan, it eats small insects and plant material.
Activity: It hides beneath leaf litter, rotting wood, or stones by day and moves around at night.
Social life: Male forceps curve more strongly than female forceps. In a Japanese lab study, females tended eggs and newly hatched young.

Life cycle

Nest: In a Japanese lab study, females dug small chambers beneath cover and laid eggs inside.
Larva: In a small Japanese lab study, females cleaned eggs by licking and stayed through hatching and the young’s first molt. They also carried food into the nest.

Name and classification

About the name: It has also been called Gonolabis marginalis.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

13 sources