The better to pinch you with
There was no need to flip a rock to find this angry mother; she was waiting for prey (or my fingers, whichever came first) out in plain sight, on a rock Campbell River beach.
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| Giant seaside earwig, Anisolabis maritima |
The females lay their eggs in cracks or burrows and stand guard over them. The sturdy pincers at the end of the abdomen can deliver a nasty pinch. When I got too close, this one raised them straight up towards me, in a threat gesture. (The males do not stand guard, but run when they notice us. Their pincers are curved strongly inward, almost forming a circle.)
I kept my fingers well away.
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Three more days until Rock Flipping Day!
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2 comments:
That's pretty threatening, and reinforces the warning you posted Re: rock-flipping day--to remember that some creatures don't take kindly to being revealed, even for the sake of science (or nature-admiring curiosity, which is often the same thing). Still, I can't wait to uncover some beasts around here...
Interesting but kind of scary to find where maybe your toes might go. - Margy
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