Diplura

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

Anatomy

Diplurans are mostly 2–5 millimetres (0.08–0.20 in) long, although some species of Japyx may reach 50 mm (2.0 in). They have no eyes and, apart from the darkened cerci in some species, they are unpigmented. They have long antennae with 10 or more bead-like segments projecting forward from the head, and a pair of cerci projecting backwards from the last of the 11 abdominal somites. These cerci may be long and filamentous or short and pincer-like, leading to occasional confusion with earwigs. These cerci give the group its name, from the Greek diplo ("two") and uros ("tail"). 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. Moulting occurs up to 30 times throughout the life of a dipluran, which is estimated to last up to one year. The abdomens of diplurans bear eversible vesicles, which seem to absorb moisture from the environment and help with the animal's water balance.

Diplura (spider)

Diplura is a genus of funnel-web tarantulas found in South America and Cuba belonging to the subfamily Diplurinae. They possess a lyra on their prolateral maxillae. Diplura species can be distinguished from Trechona sp. by the number of setae on this lyra. They differ from Harmonicon sp. by the leg formula (1423 in Harmonicon, rather than 4123 in other genera of the subfamily) and the shape of the lyra bristles.

References

Diplura (disambiguation)

Diplura, "two-pronged bristletails", is an order of hexapods closely related to insects

Diplura may also refer to:

See also