Department of Entomology

Diplura (Diplurans)

Family Fact Sheet

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Japygidae - Brigham Young/VPI & SU PCD0330006

I. Background information

A. Origin of name

1. di, two; ura, tail
2. Refers to two cerci

B. Classification

1. Suborders - None
2. America north of Mexico - 4 families, 19 genera, 64 species
3. World - ? families, ? genera, 659 species
4. Estimate of undescribe species - 40%

C. Common names - None

D. Type of metamorphosis - Simple

E. Phylogenetic relationships

1. Entognathus
2. Styli present
3. No pleural sutures - i.e., no episternum or epimeron

II. Morphological characteristics

A. Styli on abdominal segments 1-7 or 2-7

B. Two cerci

C. Eyeless

D. Antennae present

E. Wingless

III. Biological summary for the order

A. Life history

1. Eggs - laid in nest from a silk stalk
2. Nymphs
3. Adults

B. Habitat

1. Found in decaying vegetation, damp soil, under logs and rocks
2. Some in caves

C. Habits (mode of existence)

1. Vegetable matter
2. Others are carnivorous and eat Collembola, mites, and other small soil-inhabiting arthropods.

D. Collecting and preserving

1. Berlese funnel leaf litter.
2. 80% alcohol
3. Slide mount with water soluble solutions

E. Behavior

1. Mating
   a. Males deposit a number of stalked droplets of sperm on the ground
   b. Wandering females find and harvest them with their slitlike genital opening.
2. Female digs hole and suspends eggs from silk stalk in nest chamber.

F. Significance - Unknown