DARN DERMAPTERA!

[entomo-logic]

Today I found several Earwigs (Order: Dermaptera) in my hisser colony. I didn't think much of it until I saw one eating an L2! I was astonished that an earwig could take prey so much larger than its self but It was squished immediately after the moment of awe was over. So look out for Earwigs they are killers!

 

[Petastic]

Today I found several Earwigs (Order: Dermaptera) in my hisser colony. I didn't think much of it until I saw one eating an L2! I was astonished that an earwig could take prey so much larger than its self but It was squished immediately after the moment of awe was over. So look out for Earwigs they are killers!

They sure are. 50% herbivore, 50% carnivore. They actively hunt their prey during the night, using their pincers to subdue and hold prey while their mouthparts do the work. I have a couple dozen in a large container, and although highly cannibilistic, they're interesting pets and have learned to come when they smell fresh food. The females care for the eggs and day old babies, cleaning them and sometimes bringing food back for them.

 

[Zephyr]

Ya know, instead of killing them, you could just culture them.

Makes life a lot funner for both parties, I'm sure.

 

[entomo-logic]

It is true it would be more fun to culture them. Unfortunately they don't like to be seen, are rather small, and as you said are cannibalistic so they don't make very good display animals. If it weren't for these flaws I am sure they would be very interesting to culture in a zoo. It is a shame that the Saint Helena earwig (Labidura herculeana)is extinct because then I think people would be more open to keeping/seeing them in insectariums. I might try to keep some at my apartment in culture though because they are such cool animals. Thanks for the idea.

And while I am wishing for animals to be so much larger than their actual size Psudoscorpions would be so cool if they were about 100x their actual size. I do culture those in my personal collection.

 

[Ralph]

I think even earwigs like Doru spp. or Anisolabis maritima would make great culture animals. To keep them out of your hissers in the future, try a more airtight lid. I'm pretty sure they can chew through mesh if they are motivated enough, but that would be a deterrent.