An order of insects commonly known as earwigs, characterized by pincers at the rear of the abdomen.
From Greek 'derma' (skin) + 'pteron' (wing), literally 'skin-wing,' referring to the distinctive leathery front wings that cover membranous hind wings. The name describes their distinctive wing structure.
Earwigs got their Latin name from their wings, not from crawling in ears—'Dermaptera' reminds us that scientific names describe physical features, and myths about earwigs burrowing in ears have nothing to do with the actual word.
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