Earwig Babies!

I hadn't checked on the earwig mother (Forficula auricularia) in a while, so I decided to see if the eggs had hatched yet. They had! On pulling out the bordering-brick, I was greeted by a pair of cerci raised threateningly at me and a quivering heap of earwig nymphs off to the side. I'm glad I looked in on them again today. The eggs must have hatched within the last couple of days.

Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of that abdomen with pincers raised in maternal defense. I was still studying the situation at the time, but I'm glad that the mother eventually lowered them. 

There aren't as many nymphs as you might think; the profuse tangle of antennae and legs makes their number appear larger at first glance. Count the bodies and you'll see what I mean. I'm assuming the nymphs, being newly hatched, are still a bit disoriented, which explains why they're writhing in one place.

Now it remains to be seen whether the nymphs will eat any of their weaker fellows or even devour their mother. Hopefully they'll have enough food by other sources, but it happens sometimes. More often than not, survival takes precedence over familial relationships in the wild.