Bristletails
Guides
Machilidae
Jumping Bristletails
Machilidae is a family of wingless insects in the order Archaeognatha, commonly known as jumping bristletails. Adults measure 7–20 mm in body length, with elongated cylindrical bodies covered in overlapping scales and three long terminal filaments. They possess large contiguous compound eyes, a humped thorax, and enlarged hind legs that enable rapid jumping when disturbed. The family contains approximately 250–450 described species with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution, primarily associated with moist, sheltered microhabitats including rocky shorelines, leaf litter, and rock crevices.
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.