Machilidae

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Machilidae
Temporal range: Ladinian–Present
Pedetontus unimaculatus 01 female.jpg
Pedetontus unimaculatus (female)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Archaeognatha
Family: Machilidae
Grassi, 1888

The Machilidae are a family of insects belonging to the order Archaeognatha (the bristletails). There are around 250 described species worldwide. These insects are wingless, elongated and more or less cylindrical with a distinctive humped thorax and covered with tiny, close-fitting scales. The colour is usually grey or brown, sometimes intricately patterned. There are three "tails" at the rear of the abdomen: two cerci and a long central epiproct. They have large compound eyes, often meeting at a central point. They resemble the silverfish and the firebrat, which are from a different order, Zygentoma.

Contents

Machilids undergo virtually no metamorphosis during their life cycles, and both nymphs and adults are generally inconspicuous herbivores and scavengers. Many species are restricted to rocky shorelines, but some are found in well-vegetated habitats inland. They can move very fast and often escape by jumping considerable distances when disturbed.

Like all Archaeognatha, machilids transfer sperm indirectly from male to female. Some species can spin silken threads that lead the female to the spermatophore. Other species can produce silken stalks on which they place droplets of sperm.

There are no aquatic species, but some littoral forms, such as Parapetrobius and Petrobius, can swim. [1]

Their fossil records extends back into the Triassic with the genus Gigamachilis from the Middle Triassic of Italy and Switzerland, around 240 million years old. [2] [3]

Genera [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lepismatidae</span> Family of silverfishes

Lepismatidae is a family of primitive wingless insects with about 190 described species. This family contains the two most familiar members of the order Zygentoma: the silverfish and the firebrat. It is one of five families in the order Zygentoma.

<i>Ctenolepisma</i> Genus of silverfishes

Ctenolepisma is a genus of primitive insects in the order Zygentoma, closely related to the silverfish and firebrat but less reliant on human habitation, some species being found both indoors and outdoors and some found exclusively outdoors. The genus is distributed nearly worldwide in warm regions. Australia lacks native Ctenolepisma, but is home to introduced species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meinertellidae</span> Family of jumping bristletails

The Meinertellidae are a small family of basal insects belonging to the order Archaeognatha. They are sometimes known as rock bristletails. These insects can be distinguished from members of the other Archaeognatha family, Machilidae, by the lack of scales at the base of the legs and antennae, head, and palps; along with possession of small abdominal sternites protruding slightly between the coxal plates. They can also be distinguished by patches of reddish to violet-brown hypodermal pigment on the appendages.

Neoasterolepisma is a genus of primitive insects belonging to the family Lepismatidae. Many species live with ants.

Allopsontus is a genus of the family Machilidae which belongs to the insect order Archaeognatha. Certain species in this genus have been found as high as 5 kilometres above sea level on the Himalayas.

Charimachilis is a genus of the family Machilidae which belongs to the insect order Archaeognatha. They are found in southern and eastern Europe.

<i>Machilinus</i> Genus of jumping bristletails

Machilinus is a genus of rock bristletails in the family Meinertellidae. There are about 17 described species in Machilinus. The members of the genus are active during the day (diurnal).

Haslundichilis is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are at least two described species in Haslundichilis.

<i>Lepismachilis</i> Genus of jumping bristletails

Lepismachilis is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are more than 20 described species in Lepismachilis.

Meximachilis is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are at least three described species in Meximachilis.

Parapetrobius is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. Currently, there is one described species, Parapetrobius azoricus, which has only been found on Pico Island and the Formigas Islets in the archipelago of the Azores

Pedetontus is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are about 10 described species in Pedetontus.

Praemachiloides is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are about five described species in Praemachiloides.

Praetrigoniophthalmus is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are at least two described species in Praetrigoniophthalmus.

Promesomachilis is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are at least two described species in Promesomachilis.

Silvestrichilis is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are about eight described species in Silvestrichilis.

Stachilis is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are at least three described species in Stachilis.

Trigoniomachilis is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are at least four described species in Trigoniomachilis.

<i>Trigoniophthalmus</i> Genus of jumping bristletails

Trigoniophthalmus is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae. There are about 11 described species in Trigoniophthalmus.

<i>Machiloides banksi</i> Species of jumping bristletail

Machiloides banksi is a species of rock bristletail, family of basal insects belonging to the order Archaeognatha, in the genus Machiloides.

References

  1. ↑ Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society, Volume 2
  2. ↑ Montagna, Matteo; Haug, Joachim T.; Strada, Laura; Haug, Carolin; Felber, Markus; Tintori, Andrea (2017-04-07). "Central nervous system and muscular bundles preserved in a 240 million year old giant bristletail (Archaeognatha: Machilidae)". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 46016. doi: 10.1038/srep46016 . ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   5384076 . PMID   28387236.
  3. ↑ Montagna, Matteo (April 2020). "Comment on Phylogenetic analyses with four new Cretaceous bristletails reveal inter‐relationships of Archaeognatha and Gondwana origin of Meinertellidae". Cladistics. 36 (2): 227–231. doi: 10.1111/cla.12387 . ISSN   0748-3007. PMID   34618953. S2CID   199633962.
  4. ↑ "Machilidae". gbif.org. Retrieved 25 Jun 2014.


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