Machilidae
Guides
Mesomachilis
jumping bristletails
Mesomachilis is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae, first described by Silvestri in 1911. The genus contains approximately six described species distributed across North America, including the western United States, Canada, and Mexico. These primitive insects belong to the order Archaeognatha, one of the earliest diverging lineages of living insects.
Pedetontus submutans
Pedetontus submutans is a species of jumping bristletail in the family Machilidae, first described by Silvestri in 1911. As a member of the order Archaeognatha, it represents one of the most primitive living lineages of insects. The species is documented from North America. Like other machilids, it is likely found in moist terrestrial microhabitats.
Petridiobius arcticus
Arctic Bristletail
Petridiobius arcticus is a species of jumping bristletail, an ancient lineage of wingless insects belonging to the order Archaeognatha. As a member of the family Machilidae, it represents one of the most primitive insect groups, retaining characteristics of early insect evolution. The species has a broad distribution spanning multiple continents, occurring in both the Palearctic and Nearctic regions. Despite its wide geographic range, detailed biological information remains limited.
Petrobius brevistylus
Petrobius brevistylus is a species of bristletail in the family Machilidae, order Zygentoma. The species is represented by a silhouette illustration credited to Birgit Lang on PhyloPic.org, where it has been used in scientific figures to exemplify Apterygota. The specific epithet 'brevistylus' refers to short styli, a morphological feature of the genus. As a member of Zygentoma, this species belongs to one of the most basal lineages of wingless insects, representing an ancient evolutionary grade that predates the evolution of wings in insects.
Trigoniophthalmus
Trigoniophthalmus is a genus of jumping bristletails in the family Machilidae, order Archaeognatha. The genus was erected by Verhoeff in 1910 and contains approximately 11-14 described species distributed across the Palaearctic region. Taxonomic revision in 2019 established two subgenera: Trigoniophthalmus s. str. and Silvestrius subgen. nov. Species within this genus are distinguished by morphological features of the compound eyes, ocelli, and ovipositor structure.
Trigoniophthalmus alternatus
Cave Bristletail
Trigoniophthalmus alternatus is a species of jumping bristletail, a primitive wingless insect in the order Archaeognatha. It is commonly known as the Cave Bristletail due to its association with subterranean and dark, moist habitats. The species has a broad distribution across Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. It was originally described as Machilis alternatus by Silvestri in 1904 before being transferred to the genus Trigoniophthalmus.