Which order includes earwigs, elongated with simple slender antennae and biting mouthparts, and legs adapted for running?

• A. Pleuroptera
• B. Dermaptera
• C. Isoptera
• D. Grylloblattodea

Answer: (B)

Focusing on body form and mouthparts helps identify insect groups. Earwigs are in the order Dermaptera, and they are typically elongated with simple, slender antennae and mouthparts adapted for biting. Their legs are built for running, which matches a lifestyle that relies on quick, agile movement to escape predators or pursue prey. A distinctive feature of Dermaptera (often noted in field guides) is the pair of forceps-like cerci at the end of the abdomen, which further helps confirm earwigs as the correct group.

The other options don’t fit this combination of traits: Pleuroptera is an old, outdated grouping not used in current classification; termites, classified as Isoptera, have a different overall body plan and life history (often social colonies with winged forms in some castes); Grylloblattodea are cold-adapted ice-dwellers with morphology that doesn’t match the described running-adapted, slender-bodied earwig form.