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It started as an ordinary afternoon. The weather was pleasant, the windows were open, and my six-year-old daughter was happily playing near the back door while I finished a few chores around the house. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until she suddenly ran inside, holding her arm and saying that something had pinched her.
At first, I assumed it was a mosquito or perhaps a small ant. Children often get minor insect bites while playing outdoors, and most are harmless. But when I looked closer, I noticed a small dark insect crawling nearby. I’d never seen anything quite like it before.
It had an elongated body, long antennae, and what looked like a pair of large pincers extending from the back of its abdomen. The unusual appearance immediately caught my attention. I carefully captured it in a container and took a close-up photo before checking on my daughter’s arm.
Fortunately, she had only a small red mark and said the discomfort had already begun to fade. Still, seeing such a strange-looking insect was enough to make me uneasy. Like many parents, I wanted to know exactly what had come into our home.
I sent the picture to my sister-in-law, who lives just a few streets away. To my surprise, she replied almost immediately.
“I’ve found several of those around my house this week,” she said. “They’re mostly outside, but a few have gotten inside after the recent warm weather.”
That response only made me more curious.
If these insects were appearing in multiple nearby homes, surely other people had questions too.
I uploaded the photo to a community gardening group and asked whether anyone recognized it. Within minutes, dozens of comments began appearing. Some people confidently identified it, while others admitted they had always wondered what these insects were but had never asked.
Many users quickly recognized the insect as an earwig, a common insect found in many parts of the world.
Despite their intimidating appearance, earwigs are generally considered more frightening to look at than they are dangerous.
The curved pincers at the end of their bodies often alarm people, but entomologists explain that these pincers are mainly used for defense, capturing small prey, and interacting with other earwigs—not for attacking humans.
Male earwigs usually have larger, more curved pincers than females, making them appear even more intimidating.
One of the biggest myths surrounding earwigs has existed for centuries.
According to old folklore, earwigs crawl into people’s ears while they sleep and burrow into the brain. Although the story has survived through generations, scientists have repeatedly confirmed that this is simply a myth with no scientific basis.