Dermaptera as insect pests

Dermaptera, or earwigs, are omnivorous feeders; a few are plant pests, destructive to tender foliage and flowers.

The most widespread species and the most troublesome pest is the European earwig, which occurs in temperate and sub-tropical regions. Commerce-borne from its native Europe, it has become established in North and South America and Australasia, and seems destined to become cosmopolitan. It is a garden and household pest. The earwig feeds mainly on green plants, but prefers anything more nourishing that it can find, hence its presence in the kitchen, where its activities resemble those of the cockroach.