Neelidae

Neelidae
Megalothorax
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Collembola
Order:	Neelipleona
Family:	Neelidae

Neelidae is a family of springtails in the order Neelipleona. There are at least 4 genera and more than 30 described species in Neelidae. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Neelus murinus

Genera

These four genera belong to the family Neelidae:

• Megalothorax Willem, 1900
• Neelides Caroli, 1912
• Neelus Folsom, 1896
• Zelandothorax Delamare Debouteville & Massoud, 1963

Description

Members of the family Neelidae are generally minute, averaging around 500 μm. They possess globular bodies superficially like that of the Symphypleona, with relatively long legs and a well-developed furca compared to other soil-dwelling springtails. ^[4]

Phylogeny

Neelidae was initially considered to have a close affinity with Symphypleona, based on morphological characteristics shared between the two groups such as a globular shape, neosminthuroid setae and others. However, molecular data places them as a basal group to all other Collembola. ^[5]

References

1. "Neelidae Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
2. "Neelidae". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
3. "Family Neelidae information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
4. Schneider, C.; Zon, S. D.; D'Haese, C. A. (September 2018). "Megalothorax laevis (Neelipleona, Neelidae): Account of a neglected springtail widely distributed in the intertropical zone". International Journal of Tropical Insect Science. 38 (3): 168–191. doi:10.1017/S1742758418000024. S2CID   90165716.
5. Ma, Yao; Huang, Cheng-Wang; Luan, Yun-Xia; Chen, Wan-Jun (3 August 2021). "The mitochondrial genome of a minute springtail species Megalothorax incertus (Collembola: Neelipleona: Neelidae)". Mitochondrial DNA Part B. 6 (8): 2430–2432. doi:10.1080/23802359.2021.1955637. PMC   8291067 . PMID   34350357.

Further reading

• Bitzer, Royce J.; Buckelew, Lamar D.; Pedigo, Larry P. (2002). "Effects of transgenic herbicide-resistant soybean varieties and systems on surface-active springtails (Entognatha: Collembola)". Environmental Entomology. 31 (3): 449–461. doi:10.1603/0046-225X-31.3.449. S2CID   85984909.

External links

• Media related to Neelidae at Wikimedia Commons