Chelisochidae is a family of
earwigs[3][4] whose members are commonly known as black earwigs.[5] The family contains a total of approximately 96 species, spread across sixteen genera in three subfamilies.[6][7]
They are primarily located in the more tropical
Afrotropical,
Australasian, and
Orientalrealms, even though some species, such as Chelisoches morio, are
cosmopolitan.[7] They are often dark in color, lending to their common name, and can vary in size. They can be easily identified due to a certain characteristic in their
tarsi, involving a ventral projection on the second tarsal segment. Like most earwigs, they are
omnivores, and their diet consists of the larvae of
leaf-mining insects, as well as certain types of vegetation.[7]
^"Checklist for CHELISOCHIDAE". Australian Faunal Directory. Australia: Australian Government: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 2008-10-09. Archived from
the original on 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
^Steinmann, H. (1993). "Dermaptera. Eudermaptera II". Das Tierreich. 108.
^
abc"Family CHELISOCHIDAE". Australian Faunal Directory. Australia: Australian Government: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 2008-10-09. Retrieved 2009-06-26.