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Elaunon bipartitus
Small earwig about 1 cm in length, possibly a nymph, found inside the calyx of Wild Gooseberry (Physalis angulata). There were no signs of feeding on the fruit, nor any obvious signs of burrowing through the calyx skin. Elaunon bipartitus have distinctive reddish orange wing covers with a central brown stripe. They are nocturnal, omnivorous and known to feed on mealybugs. Elaunon belongs to the large cosmopolitan family Forficulidae that has only four species in Australia.
This spotting was by the Metroplex wetlands in Murarrie, Brisbane QLD. Earwigs usually like moist environments in leaf litter, mulch and debris on the ground, but this one was found in the calyx of a Wild Gooseberry. A mystery?!
Image search of this species show the ID of this spotting to be correct. Thanks, martinl, for your suggestion.
Spotted on Feb 28, 2014
Submitted on Feb 28, 2014
6 Comments
You're right on the money there, Martin. Elaunon bipartitus it is. Thank you gents.
pincers...
that makes more sense with those cerci
Earwig?
http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Earwig/E...
Thanks very much, Mark. That gives me a place to start :-)
Some kind of Staphylinidae (Rove beetle) - can't match the patterns yet though.