Earwigs

photo from Wikipedia

Earwigs have been around since the late Triassic period, but they were introduced into North America in the early 1900s.  These insects get their name from an old myth that they crawled into people's ears while they slept and burrowed into the brain.  In reality, earwigs are not really harmful to humans.
Earwigs can be easily identified by the long forceps pincers extending from the back of their abdomen and their membraneous wings.  The pincers in the male are curved while the female's pincers are more straight.  They are mostly noctural and prefer dark, moist areas such as leaf piles, bark, or weeds.  They eat other insects, flowers, seedling plants, soft fruits, and corn silks, so they have been known to cause damage to crops.
The male and female will mate in the fall and live together in debris, crevices, or soil about 2.5 mm deep for the winter.  In early spring, the male will leave or be driven out by the female.  Shortly after, the female will lay 20-80 eggs in 2 days.  The eggs are white or cream colored and oval shaped.  They will turn more brown and kidney shaped right before hatching (about one week from being laid).

female with her eggs (photo from Wikipedia)

female with new hatchlings (photo from Wikipedia)

 
Unlike many insects, the female earwig is very maternal, watching over her eggs and offspring until after their second molt (it takes 5 molts to reach adulthood).  The mother will also continuously clean her eggs to protect them from fungi. 
Reducing possible hiding places such as debris, heavy ivy vines, or wood piles especially around your garden can help to control problems with earwigs.