Hop-garden Earwig Apterygida albipennis

True to its nickname, this European earwig has developed a particular fondness for hopfields—those agricultural landscapes where hops grow for brewing. Its other name, the short-winged earwig, reveals a key adaptation: reduced wing size perfectly suited to life among cultivated plants. Despite shortened wings, these earwigs are still active predators, hunting the smaller insects that inhabit hop gardens. They serve as valuable natural pest controllers, feeding on a variety of prey and turning cultivated fields into their hunting grounds.