A. esau is easily contrasted from other members of the order Dermaptera by its minute cerci and full body covering of sensory hairs giving adults a mottled appearance.

[2] Like some other earwig species[6] Arixenia esau is viviparous, giving birth to live offspring that develop in a uterus.

Arixenia esau has a unique respiratory system to support larval development within the reproductive tract of the mother.

An extensive tracheal system within the mother's body delivers oxygen through the respiratory pigment hemocyanin which is found in the fatty tissue of the larva while a placenta-like organ growing out of the larval abdomen mediates this gas exchange.

The hairs on the earwigs body make them ideal vectors for the fleas, who would otherwise remain trapped on the cave floors unable to reach the roosting bats.