Diplura 63837 219998917 2008-06-17T20:35:16Z DOI bot 6652755 Citation maintenance. Initiated by [[User:Fconaway|Fconaway]]. You can [[WP:DOI|use this bot]] yourself! Please [[User:DOI_bot/bugs|report any bugs]]. {{Otheruses4|the hexapod order|the spider genus|Diplura (spider)}} {{Taxobox | name = Diplurans | image = Diplura.jpg | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Arthropod]]a | subphylum = [[Hexapoda]] | classis = [[Entognatha]] | ordo = '''Diplura''' | ordo_authority = [[Carl Börner|Börner]], 1904 | subdivision_ranks = Families&nbsp;<ref name="TOL">{{cite web |publisher=[[Tree of Life Web Project|Tree of Life Project]] |title=Diplura |author=David R. Maddison |url=http://tolweb.org/Diplura/8204/1995.01.01 |date=[[2005-01-01]]}}</ref> | subdivision = [[Campodeidae]]<br /> [[Procampodeidae]]<br /> [[Projapygidae]]<br /> [[Anajapygidae]]<br /> [[Japygidae]]<br /> [[Heterojapygidae]]<br /> [[Dinjapygidae]]<br /> [[Evalljapygidae]]<br /> [[Parajapygidae]] }} The [[Order (biology)|order]] '''Diplura''' is one of the four groups of [[Hexapoda|hexapods]], alongside [[insect]]s, [[springtail]]s and [[Protura]]. They are sometimes called "two-pronged bristletails"&nbsp;<ref name="Massey">{{cite web |url=http://soilbugs.massey.ac.nz/diplura.php |title=Guide to New Zealand Soil Invertebrates |publisher=[[Massey University]] |year=2006}}</ref>. Around 800 species have been described, of which around 70 occur in [[North America]]&nbsp;<ref name="TOL"/>, 12 in [[Great Britain]]&nbsp;<ref name="Kendall">{{cite web |url=http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/diplura.htm |title=Diplura |author=David Kendall |year=2005 |publisher=Kendall Bioresearch Services}}</ref> and two in [[Australia]]&nbsp;<ref name="CSIRO">{{cite web |url=http://www.ento.csiro.au/Ecowatch/Hexapods/diplura.htm |title=Diplura |publisher=[[Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation|CSIRO]] Entomology}}</ref>. ==Anatomy== Diplurans are mostly between 2 and 5&nbsp;[[millimetre|mm]] long, although some species of ''[[Japyx]]'' may reach 50&nbsp;mm&nbsp;<ref name="Kendall"/>. They have no [[eye]]s and, apart from the darkened cerci in some species, they are unpigmented&nbsp;<ref name="Kendall"/>. They have long [[antenna (biology)|antennae]] with ten or more [[bead]]-like segments projecting forward from the head&nbsp;<ref name="McMaster">{{cite web |url=http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/Biology/insect/diplura.htm |title=Diplura |publisher=[[McMaster University]] |year=1999}}</ref>, and a pair of [[cerci]] projecting backwards from the last of the eleven abdominal [[somite]]s&nbsp;<ref name="Earthlife">{{cite web |url=http://www.earthlife.net/insects/diplura.html |title=Diplura |date=[[2005-11-11]] |publisher=The Earthlife Web}}</ref>. These cerci may be long and filamentous or short and pincer-like&nbsp;<ref name="Iziko">{{cite web |url=http://www.museums.org.za/bio/insects/diplura/ |title=Diplura |year=2004 |publisher=[[Iziko Museums of Cape Town]]}}</ref>, leading to occasional confusion with [[earwig]]s&nbsp;<ref name="CSIRO"/>. These cerci give the group its name, from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''diplo'' ("two") and ''uros'' ("tail")&nbsp;<ref name="McMaster"/>. Some diplurans have the ability to shed their cerci if necessary ([[autotomy]]); of all terrestrial arthropods, only diplurans and [[Phasmatodea|walkingsticks]] have the ability to regenerate these lost appendages over a series of [[ecdysis|moults]]&nbsp;<ref name="McMaster"/>. Moulting occurs up to thirty times throughout the life of a dipluran, which is estimated to last up to one year&nbsp;<ref name="CSIRO"/>. The abdomens of diplurans bear eversible vesicles&nbsp;<ref name="NCSU">{{cite web |url=http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/compendium/diplura.html |title=Diplura |author=John R. Meyer |publisher=[[North Carolina State University]] |year=2005}}</ref> which seem to absorb moisture from the environment and help with the animal's [[water balance]]&nbsp;<ref name="McMaster"/>. ==Ecology== Diplurans are common in moist [[soil]], [[leaf litter]] or [[humus]]&nbsp;<ref name="NCSU"/>, but are rarely seen because of their size and subterranean lifestyle&nbsp;<ref name="McMaster"/>. They have biting [[mouthparts]] and feed on a variety of live prey and dead organic matter&nbsp;<ref name="Massey"/>. Members of the family [[Japygidae]] are mainly predatory and use their pincer-like cerci to capture prey, including [[springtail]]s, [[Isopoda|isopods]], small [[myriapod]]s, [[insect]] [[larva]]e, and even other diplurans, while members of the family [[Campodeidae]] feed on soil [[fungus|fungi]], [[mite]]s, springtails and other small soil invertebrates, as well as [[detritus]]&nbsp;<ref name="Massey"/>. Those species with long cerci are herbivorous&nbsp;<ref name="CSIRO"/>. Like other non-insect hexapods, diplurans have [[External fertilization|external fertilisation]]. Males lay up to 200 [[spermatophore]]s a week, which are held off the ground by a short stalk and probably only remain viable for about two days&nbsp;<ref name="NCSU"/>. The female collects the spermatophore with her genital opening, and later lays [[egg (biology)|eggs]] in a cavity in the ground&nbsp;<ref name="McMaster"/><ref name="CSIRO"/><ref name="NCSU"/>. The hatchlings do not undergo [[metamorphosis]], but resemble the adults, apart from their smaller size, lesser number of [[seta]]e and the lack of reproductive organs&nbsp;<ref name="Massey"/>. ==Relatives== The relationships among the four groups of hexapods are not resolved, but most recent studies argue against a [[monophyly|monophyletic]] [[Entognatha]]&nbsp;<ref name="Carapelli">{{cite journal |quotes=no |title=A review of molecular data for the phylogeny of basal hexapods |author=A. Carapelli, F. Nardi, R. Dallai & F. Frati |journal=Pedobiologia |volume=50 |issue=2 |pages=191–204 |year=2006 |doi=10.1016/j.pedobi.2006.01.001}}</ref>. The [[fossil record]] of the Diplura is sparse, but one apparent dipluran dates from the [[Carboniferous]]&nbsp;<ref name="TOL"/>. ==References== <div class="references-small"><references/></div> [[Category:Diplura| ]] [[Category:Arthropods]] [[ca:Diplur]] [[cs:Vidličnatky]] [[da:Diplurer]] [[de:Doppelschwänze]] [[es:Diplura]] [[eo:Dipluro]] [[fr:Diplura]] [[it:Diplura]] [[lv:Diplūras]] [[ja:コムシ目]] [[no:Tohaler]] [[pl:Widłogonki]] [[pt:Diplura]] [[ru:Двухвостки]] [[sv:Larvborstsvansar]]