Field earwig

Gardens, orchards, leaf litter, and other cool, damp sites; commonly sheltering beneath leaves and debris.

Omnivorous, feeding on aphids, mites, insect eggs, and other small invertebrates, as well as soft plant tissue, flowers, and fruit.

Mostly nocturnal and concealed by day. Females guard and tend their eggs and young in underground chambers or sheltered crevices; adults use forceps-like cerci for defense and mating.

Harmless to people and not venomous; the pincers rarely cause more than a minor pinch. Generally beneficial as a predator of garden pests, though it can damage seedlings, blossoms, and soft fruit when abundant.