Nicoletiidae is a family of primitive insects belonging to the order Zygentoma. These insects live primarily underground, under detritus, or in caves. A few species are recorded as commensals inside nests of social insects, such as the species Allotrichotriura saevissima which lives inside fire ant nests.[1] Nicoletiids lack eyes and they lack pigmentation. They have long antennae and terminal abdominal filaments.[2] Coletinia, a genus of this family, range in size between 10 and 15mm, and may have yellowish pigmentation but most species are transparent.[3]
Nicoletiidae Temporal range:
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Atelura formicaria | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Zygentoma |
Family: | Nicoletiidae Escherich, 1905 |
Subfamilies include[1] | |
Atelurinae |
Selected genera
edit- Allotrichotriura
- Anelpistina
- Atelura
- Battigrassiella
- Coletinia
- Hemitrinemura (extant, with fossils known from Miocene Dominican amber)
- Lepidospora
- Nicoletia
- Prosthecina
- Squamatinia
- Squamigera
- Texoreddellia
- Trinemurodes (extant, with fossils known from Miocene Dominican amber)
Extinct genera
edit- †Archeatelura Mendes 1997 Dominican amber, Miocene
- †Paleograssiella Mendes and Poinar 2013 Mexican amber, Miocene
References
edit- ^ a b Mendes, Luis F.; Fox, Eduardo G. P.; Solis, Daniel R.; Bueno, Odair C. (2009). "New Nicoletiidae (Zygentoma: Insecta) from Brazil living in fire-ant (Hymenoptera: Insecta) nests". Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia. 49 (34): 467–475. doi:10.1590/S0031-10492009003400001. hdl:11449/28489. ISSN 1807-0205.
- ^ Smith, Graeme B.; McRae, Jane (2016). "Further short range endemic troglobitic silverfish (Zygentoma: Nicoletiidae; Subnicoletiinae and Coletiniinae) from north-western Australia". Records of the Western Australian Museum. 31 (1): 41. doi:10.18195/issn.0312-3162.31(1).2016.041-055. ISSN 0312-3162.
- ^ Molero, Rafael; Bach, Carmen; Sendra, Alberto; Montagud, Sergio; Barranco, Pablo; Gaju, Miguel (2013-02-15). "Revision of the genus Coletinia (Zygentoma: Nicoletiidae) in the Iberian Peninsula, with descriptions of nine new species". Zootaxa. 3615 (1): 1–60. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3615.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.