13 replies to this topic

[Connectimyrmex]

Hi!
Since the autumn months are finally here, the earwigs are getting active again. I have been seeing hundreds of earwigs flying to my front porch lights. Recently, I have also been finding pairs of earwigs under rocks. I've collected two females and one male, and they are currently living in the same vial. I am hoping to get some eggs from them by winter!

 

Any tips?

[T.C.]

Here's some of my stuff on them.

http://www.insectboa...-earwig-journal

http://www.insectboa...keeping-earwigs

[Connectimyrmex]

Here's some of my stuff on them.

http://www.insectboa...-earwig-journal

http://www.insectboa...keeping-earwigs

Funny thing that you bring them up, your journals and tutorials got me interested in earwig keeping!
They are eastern form European Earwigs. I put a pair in my terrarium and I put my mated female in a test tube.
 

 

 

[nurbs]

Here's some of my stuff on them.

http://www.insectboa...-earwig-journal

http://www.insectboa...keeping-earwigs

 

Great stuff! Always wondered about rearing them. They are all over SoCal under rocks and moist dirt.

 

Very social, like ants. Their parental nature is fascinating. Been wanting to breed these for the sole purpose of feeding ant colonies. Camponotus love their eggs.

[T.C.]

 

Here's some of my stuff on them.

http://www.insectboa...-earwig-journal

http://www.insectboa...keeping-earwigs

 

Great stuff! Always wondered about rearing them. They are all over SoCal under rocks and moist dirt.

 

Very social, like ants. Their parental nature is fascinating. Been wanting to breed these for the sole purpose of feeding ant colonies. Camponotus love their eggs.

 

Thank you, one thing I was never able to over come was the third generation reproductives. I got them to reproduce the 1st year really well, the second year, they did okish, but the third year no one would make love.

[T.C.]

This was one culture that did really well. I circled all the area's where the females laid eggs. Then there was a few on the sides of the container as well.

 

[Connectimyrmex]

Good news, I caught a NEW female earwig! She seems to be gravid, so I now have three gravid females total. Two of the females are in ziplock bags, one is in a test tube, and the male is in the terrarium.

[Connectimyrmex]

UPDATE: Their is one shriveled looking object at the bottom of earwig 1's tube. It kind of looks like an eggshell. 

Edited by Connectimyrmex, October 17 2017 - 3:11 PM.

[Connectimyrmex]

The earwigs haven't laid any eggs yet, but the females definitely seem swollen with eggs. 

I'm going to the beach soon, and I'm going to look for Maritime Earwigs. wish me luck!

[Connectimyrmex]

I just saw the terrarium pair hunt down and kill a snowy tree cricket... RIP...

I gave the vial earwig a piece of the leftover cricket, and she is just ignoring it for some reason. Maybe she is preparing to lay?

[Connectimyrmex]

No pics yet, the earwigs are very uncooperative.

The vial female has made several tunnels in the vial's soil, with one large chamber situated in the back. Hopefully she is getting ready to lay!

[Connectimyrmex]

I caught a new female and she's in the terrarium. My katydids laid eggs in the wintergreen leaves, which I was unaware of at the time. I recently saw the terrarium earwigs chew through a leaf and pull out an egg, so now I'm aware of that. I'm not sure what I should do about the eggs (removing the wintergreen would be very difficult)

 

Something amazing happened with the vial earwig. I offered her her daily meal of wild ant brood, and she actually started grooming one of the larvae (after eating the rest)! I wonder if this has anything to do with her maternal instinct kicking in...

[Connectimyrmex]

GREAT NEWS! Earwig #1 just laid five eggs, with more coming!

 

The larva died, btw.

Edited by Connectimyrmex, November 22 2017 - 5:44 PM.

[Connectimyrmex]

Earwig #1 now has a decent sized clutch, with around ten or twelve eggs.