Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

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Euborellia annulipes (Lucas, 1847)

tijereta, Ring-legged Earwig

Littoral to pampa and agricultural zones; January-December; scavenger in litter and debris; often taken in pit traps; without functional wings. This is the most common Galapagos species, especially in dark and humid habitats. It can cause minor damage to plants and stored foods, and will attack other insects. I judge it to be adventive because it is widespread on only the five islands most influenced by humans.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Insecta

Order
Dermaptera

Suborder
Catadermaptera

Superfamily
Pygidicranoidea

Family
Anisolabididae

Genus
Euborellia

Species
annulipes

Taxon category: Accepted

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 1901

Mode of introduction: Accidental

Introduction Pathway: Contaminant

Subpathway: On habitat material (soil, vegetation)

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Unlikely to become invasive

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Floreana, Isabela, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Santiago

References

  • Brindle, A. (1969) The Earwigs (Dermaptera) of the Galapagos Islands. Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation 81(12): 331-334.
  • Desender, K. Baert, L., Maelfait, J.-P. & Verdyck P. (1990) Conservation on Volcan Alcedo (Galapagos): terrestrial invertebrates and the impact of introduced feral goats. Biological Conservation 87: 303-310.
  • Hebard, M. (1920) Expedition of the Calfornia Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands, 1905-1906. 17. Dermaptera and Orthoptera. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series 2(17): 311-346.
  • Linsley, E.G. Usinger, R.L. (1966) Insects of the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Fourth Series 33(7): 113-196.
  • Linsley, E.G. (1977) Insects of the Galápagos (Supplement). Occassional Papers of the Califoria Academy of Sciences 125: 1-50.
  • Parkin, P. Parkin D.T., Ewing, A.W. & Ford, H.A. (1972) A report on the arthropods collected by the Edinburgh University Galapagos Islands Expedition, 1968. The Pan-pacific Entomologist 48: 100-107.
  • Peck, S.B. (1996) Diversity and distribution of the orthopteroid insects of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74: 1497-1510.
  • Peck, S.B. Heraty, J., Landry, B. & Sinclair, B.J. (1998) Introduced insect fauna of an oceanic archipelago: The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Am. Entomol. 44: 218-237.
  • Peck, S.B. (2001) Smaller Orders of Insects of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 278 pp.

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This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Euborellia annulipes", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=5842. Accessed 31 October 2026.