Thysanura

Thysanura
(Common Bristletails)

Family: Lepismatidae
Thermobia domestica "warm house" (Firebrat)	Lepisma saccharina "scale sugar" (Silverfish)

Family: Lepidothrichidae

Family: Nicoletiidae

Family: Maindroniidae

Help me identify...E-mail: tim300cx5@yahoo.com or Dave Gross

Thysanura: Bristletails <Identification help>

Lepismatidae:

Flattened bodies (3/8 - 1/2")
(9 - 13 mm) long
Simple metamorphosis (40 molts)

Lepidothrichidae

Nicoletiidae

Maindroniidae

Links:

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/compendium/silver.html
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2108.html

Key to the families of Thysanura.

Anatomy

firebrat.jpg (35578 bytes)

Scales
firebratscales.jpg (6726 bytes)

ant - antenna
cr - cerci
mcf - median caudal filament
mxp - maxillary palp
(n1-n3) - thoracic nota
ovp - ovipositor
sty - styli
(t1-t10) - terga
ts - tarsus
ocelli - a minute simple eye or eyespot under eye.

1. Compound eyes, eyes usually touch, middle and hind coxae with styli on segments 2-9; jumping Bristletails.
Machilidae (Machilidae: is not in Thysanura, it is in Odrer: Archaeognatha.) [STOP]

1'. Compound eyes separated when present, middle coxae without styli, 3-5 segments on tarsi. [GOTO 2]

2(1'). Ocelli present, body not coverd in scales, 5 segments on tarsi. Lepidotrichidae [STOP]

2'. Ocelli absent, body usually covered with scales, 3-4 segments on tarsi. [GOTO 3]

3(2'). Eyes present, body covered with scales. Lepismatidae [STOP]

3'. Eyes absent, body not covered in scales. Nicoletiidae [STOP]

Quick Key ( down and dirty) easy as 1,2,3

1. Body have scales [GOTO 2] : Body Smooth [GOTO 3]
2. Eyes Touch Archaeognatha : Eyes seperated Lepismatidae
3. Eyes present Lepidotrichidae : No eyes Nicoletiidae