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Diplura - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Diplura
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The order Diplura is one of the four groups of hexapods, alongside insects, springtails and Protura. They are sometimes called "two-pronged bristletails".[3] Around 800 species have been described, of which around 70 occur in North America,[2] 12 in Great Britain[4] and two in Australia.[5]

Diplurans
Temporal range: Late CarboniferousRecent Pre O S D C P T J [1] K Pg N

Contents
1 Anatomy 2 Ecology 3 Relatives 4 References Scientific classification

Anatomy
Diplurans are mostly 25 millimetres (0.080.20 in) long, although some species of Japyx may reach 50 mm (2.0 in).[4] They have no eyes and, apart from the darkened cerci in some species, they are unpigmented.[4] They have long antennae with 10 or more bead-like segments projecting forward from the head,[6] and a pair of cerci projecting backwards from the last of the 11 abdominal somites.[7] These cerci may be long and filamentous or short and pincer-like,[8] leading to occasional confusion with earwigs.[5] These cerci give the group its name, from the Greek diplo ("two") and uros ("tail").[6] Some diplurans have the ability to shed their cerci if necessary (autotomy); of all terrestrial arthropods, only diplurans have the ability to regenerate these lost appendages over a series of moults.[6] Moulting occurs up to 30 times throughout the life of a dipluran, which is estimated to last up to one year.[5] The abdomens of diplurans bear eversible vesicles,[9] which seem to absorb moisture from the environment and help with the animal's water balance.[6]

Kingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order:

Animalia Arthropoda Hexapoda Entognatha Diplura

Brner, 1904

Families [2] Campodeidae Procampodeidae Projapygidae Anajapygidae Japygidae Heterojapygidae Dinjapygidae Evalljapygidae Parajapygidae

Ecology

Diplurans are common in moist soil, leaf litter or humus,[9] but are rarely Octostigmatidae seen because of their size and subterranean lifestyles.[6] They have biting mouthparts and feed on a variety of live prey and dead organic matter.[3] Members of the family Japygidae are mainly predatory and use their pincer-like cerci to capture prey, including springtails, isopods, small myriapods, insect larvae, and even other diplurans, while members of the family
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Diplura - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Campodeidae feed on soil fungi, mites, springtails, and other small soil invertebrates, as well as detritus.[3] Those species with long cerci are herbivorous.[5] Like other non-insect hexapods, diplurans have external fertilisation. Males lay up to 200 spermatophores a week, which are held off the ground by a short stalk and probably only remain viable for about two days.[9] The female collects the spermatophore with her genital opening, and later lays eggs in a cavity in the ground.[5][6][9] The hatchlings do not undergo metamorphosis, but resemble the adults, apart from their smaller size, lesser number of setae and their lack of reproductive organs.[3]

Relatives
The relationships among the four groups of hexapods are not resolved, but most recent studies argue against a monophyletic Entognatha.[10] The fossil record of the Diplura is sparse, but one apparent dipluran dates from the Carboniferous.[2] This early dipluran, Testajapyx , had compound eyes, and mouthparts that more closely resembled those of true insects than those of modern diplurans do.

References
1. ^ Hoell, H.V., Doyen, J.T. & Purcell, A.H. (1998). Introduction to Insect Biology and Diversity, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. p. 320. ISBN 0-19-510033-6. 2. ^ a b c David R. Maddison (January 1, 2005). "Diplura" (http://tolweb.org/Diplura/8204/1995.01.01). Tree of Life Project. 3. ^ a b c d "Guide to New Zealand Soil Invertebrates" (http://soilbugs.massey.ac.nz/diplura.php). Massey University. 2006. 4. ^ a b c David Kendall (2005). "Diplura" (http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/diplura.htm). Kendall Bioresearch Services. 5. ^ a b c d e "Diplura" (http://www.ento.csiro.au/education/hexapods/diplura.html). CSIRO Entomology. 6. ^ a b c d e f "Diplura" (http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/Biology/insect/diplura.htm). McMaster University. 1999. 7. ^ "Diplura" (http://www.earthlife.net/insects/diplura.html). The Earthlife Web. November 11, 2005. 8. ^ "Diplura" (http://www.museums.org.za/bio/insects/diplura/). Iziko Museums of Cape Town. 2004. 9. ^ a b c d John R. Meyer (2005). "Diplura" (http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/compendium/diplura.html). North Carolina State University. 10. ^ A. Carapelli, F. Nardi, R. Dallai & F. Frati (2006). "A review of molecular data for the phylogeny of basal hexapods". Pedobiologia 50 (2): 191204. doi:10.1016/j.pedobi.2006.01.001 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.pedobi.2006.01.001).

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