Dear Jenneke,

Left side are the females, right side the males. I am not an earwig specialist, I have dealt only with Forficula auricularia, the commonest European species. The earwigs in your photo are similar to it. I remark F. auricularia has  been introduced to many countries e.g. New Zealand.  The best way would be to find a specialist.

Probably Forficula auricularia. I Will have a look at  the other Forficula species occuring in Bolivia.

Regards

Actually very similar to "our" Forficula auricularia... (visible posterior wings, shape of the forceps...). Not a typically high altitude species, but found up to 1700 m asl in the northern french Alps...

Christophe knows better than I do !

Your specimens do look like a Forficula and F. auricularia is a widespread introduction.  We have these in Ecuador where they are occasionally found in greenhouses producing vegetables and flowers up to 3000m and maybe higher. I have not seen or heard of them in quinoa. When I see these insects in economic crops, I immediately suspect wet anaerobic conditions in the soil that are producing conditions leading to root rot by opportunistic fungi and bacteria. It is rare that these earwigs are primary pests although it is not unknown. Quinoa is very repellent to most insects and many of our farmers will intercrop quinoa with other food crops to avoid insect pests. In addition to chemicals in the stalks, leaves and seed coats, quinoa plants produce an abrasive powdery dust that abrades insect cuticles promoting desiccation. These earwigs like moist, wet conditions so they are probably working on soil organic matter.