Diplurans: Diplura - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, No Common Name (holjapyx Diversiunguis): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, DIPLURANS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

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NO COMMON NAME (Holjapyx diversiunguis): SPECIES ACCOUNT

Diplurans are widely distributed throughout the world.

Diplurans live in the soil and are found in moist habitats under rocks, logs, leaf litter, and tree bark. Some species live in caves.

Diplurans eat both plant material and animal tissues. They feed on living and dead small, soft-bodied mites, worms, symphylans (sihm-FIE-luhns) other diplurans, and insects. They also eat funguses, living plants, and decaying vegetation.

A few diplurans cause minor damage to garden vegetables by eating them, but most species do not affect people in any way.

No species of diplurans is threatened or endangered.

Additional Topics

Diplurans: Diplura - Physical Characteristics

Diplurans have three distinct body regions (head; thorax, or midsection; and abdomen), no wings, and six legs, but they are not considered true insects. Diplurans form a group closely related to insects that includes proturans (order Protura) and springtails (order Collembola). All of these animals have chewing mouthparts inside a special pocket in their head. Diplurans are long, slender, and cyli…

Diplurans: Diplura - Behavior And Reproduction

Some species burrow in loose soil, making wormlike movements with their long, slender bodies. They are also capable runners on the surface of the ground. Other species have powerful legs for pushing their way into cracks and pockets in the soil, but they are very poor runners. Many species use their mouthparts to help them dig through the soil. Diplurans locate their food sources, or prey, with th…

Diplurans: Diplura - No Common Name (holjapyx Diversiunguis): Species Account

Physical characteristics: This species measures 0.2 to 0.3 inches (6 to 8 millimeters) and can only be identified by looking at the hair-like structures on the body and the abdomen under a microscope. The body is pale yellow, while the last abdominal segment and pincher-like structures are dark brown. The antennae have twenty-six segments. Each half of the pinchers has a distinctive toothlike proj…

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