Basal-insects
Guides
Lepidotrichidae
Lepidotrichidae is a family of basal insects in the order Zygentoma. The family contains the extinct genus Lepidotrix, known from Eocene Baltic amber. The extant genus Tricholepidion, containing a single species from western North America, has traditionally been included here but recent research suggests it belongs to its own family, Tricholepidiidae.
Meinertellidae
rock bristletails
Meinertellidae is a family of basal insects in the order Archaeognatha, commonly known as rock bristletails. The family comprises more than 170 species across 19 genera, grouped into five distinct genus groups. Members are distinguished from the related family Machilidae by specific morphological traits including the absence of scales at the base of appendages and the presence of small abdominal sternites protruding between coxal plates. While most Archaeognatha are rock-dwelling, some Meinertellidae species in the Amazon have adapted to arboreal and leaf litter habitats.
Zygentoma
silverfishes, fishmoths, firebrats
Zygentoma is an order of wingless insects comprising approximately 550 described species, including silverfishes and firebrats. These insects represent one of the most ancient living lineages of insects, having diverged before the evolution of winged insects in the Carboniferous period. They are characterized by three long caudal filaments and ametabolous development with continued molting throughout life. Many species are associated with human dwellings where they feed on starchy materials, while others inhabit caves, leaf litter, or live as inquilines in ant and termite nests.