Bristletail

Bristletails
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Hexapoda Class: Insecta Order: Thysanura

Bristletails (Order Thysanura) are a small, primitive type of insect, the order of which includes the household pest, silverfish. The name Thysanura comes from Latin, meaning "tassle tail." Their mouth parts are used for chewing, and they do not sting.

A species of bristletail found in California is an example of a living fossil. It is scaleless and nearly identical to fossil specimens.

Identification

Bristletails are elongate wingless insects, named for the 3 tail-like appendages at the end of their abdomens. Their bodies are flat and spindle-shaped with overlapping scales. They have long, multi-segmented antennae, and some abdominal segments have styli (finger-like protrusions.)

Life Cycle

Bristletails undergo simple metamorphosis. Nymphs of this order are generally very similar to the adult.

Habitat

Bristletails have either small compound eyes and live under rocks, or have larger eyes and are found in leaf litter, debris, or under bark, where there is more light. Bristletails found in houses eat flour, paste, cloth, and paper.

Taxonomy

Number of species

There are 40 species found in North America, and 250 worldwide.

Suborders

There are two suborders in this order, principally separated by the segmentation of tarsi and characteristics of the abdomen.

• Ectognatha
• Entognatha

Bibliography

Borrer, DJ and RE White. A Field Guide to Insects: America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston, 1970. ISBN 0-395-91170-2

Milne, L and M Milne. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.: 1995. ISBN 0-394-50763-0