Thigmotaxis is when an organism moves towards physical contact. Many simple organisms have evolved this behavior for protection and it is commonly called crevice-seeking. Sometimes if you are small and tasty, your little brain tells you that feeling pressure from all sides is good and safe. Cockroaches are the most famously thigmotactic thing around, but my nemesis, Forficula auricularia or the common earwig, causes me the most grief.
This fellow was enjoying the physical contact of,, you guessed it,, contacts! Electrical contacts that are needed for us to enjoy having water. This is not the safest crevice to seek and not one I would advise for anyone conductive. This kind of trouble usually doesn't get really going until fall when the little bastards are trying to find a crevice to overwinter, but this year, they are getting an early start. Two fried wigs so far. This one was just so photogenic I couldn't resist taking his picture. His little charcoaled head was enough to keep the contact from closing.
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