AFTER an unseasonably warm start, the weather in November has finally turned. Insects that were still plentiful a few weeks back have either reached the end of their lifecycle or sought shelter for the winter ahead. It is a time when naturalists also head indoors to undertake the dutiful task of making their records count by submitting them to teams of dedicated recorders. We do this both for our local patch and the national picture, so that data can be analysed and reports for the year compiled and written. My moth trap gets a clean and is packed away for the winter. It is difficult to justify running a 125w bulb for few or no visitors when it is uses more energy than all the other bulbs in my house combined.

On a woodland walk with the children, I carefully turn over a few stones from a collapsed wall to see if we can spot a few insects as they shelter. The common earwig intrigues with its pincers protruding from its abdomen (curved pincers for male and straight for female), but while a little unnerving the pincers are no real match for our thick skin. Earwigs are omnivorous and feed on other insects, plants and organic material as it decomposes. Earwigs are largely active at night, and I occasionally spot them with torchlight as they search for their next meal.

It is thought the name ‘earwig’ originates from the myth that earwigs would crawl into your ear or even brain to lay their eggs as you sleep. While they will not enter your ear, one thing earwigs can do is fly. I was amazed when I found this out. Flight is infrequently seen, and as I look at an earwig, I find myself thinking how is it possible? Tucked under the short elytra, the hardened forewing that offers protection, are the most delicate of wings. Like a dancer holding an ornate lace fan in each hand the earwig can extend and unfold its dainty wings. In the right light, the wings glisten like the thinnest slither of mother of pearl imaginable (pictured).

It was not just earwigs hidden under the stones. They were also home to centipedes, woodlice, a toad and several species of ground beetle. Included with these a violet ground beetle. A hidden gem with its iridescent tinge that adds a sparkle to what is likely to be my final insect record for the year.

wharfedale-nats.org.uk