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Etymology

The scientific name for the order, Dermaptera, is Greek in origin, stemming from the words derma, meaning ' skin ', and pteron (plural ptera), meaning ' wing '. It was coined by Charles De Geer in 1773. The common term, earwig, is derived from the Old English ēare, which means ' ear ', and wicga, which means ' insect ', or literally, ' beetle '. Entomologists suggest that the origin of the name is a reference to the appearance of the hindwings, which are unique and distinctive among insects, and resemble a human ear when unfolded. The name is more popularly thought to be related to the old wives' tale that earwigs burrowed into the brains of humans through the ear and laid their eggs there. Earwigs are not known to purposefully climb into ear canals, but there has been at least one anecdotal report of earwigs being found in the ear.