Bristletails: Microcoryphia - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, No Common Name (petrobius Brevistylis): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, BRISTLETAILS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

funguses found algae

NO COMMON NAME (Petrobius brevistylis): SPECIES ACCOUNT

Bristetails are found on all continents except Antarctica.

Bristletails are found on the soil, in leaf litter, under rocks, and on stumps and logs from sea level to 15,750 feet (4,800 meters) in the Himalayas. Species living in tropical rainforests often spend some or all of their time high up on the trunks and limbs of trees.

Bristletails eat dead leaves; algae (AL-jee); funguses; and lichens (LIE-kuhns), which are plantlike growths of funguses and algae growing together.

Bristletails do not directly affect people or their activities.

No bristletails are threatened or endangered.

Additional Topics

Bristletails: Microcoryphia - Physical Characteristics

Bristletails are true insects that never develop wings. They have young that look just like the adults. Their mouthparts, unlike those of diplurans, proturans, and collembolans, are not hidden inside a pocket in the head. They range in size from 0.3 to 0.8 inches (7 to 20 millimeters), not including their tails. The thorax, or midsection, is divided into three sections, each with enlarged upper an…

Bristletails: Microcoryphia - Behavior And Reproduction

The majority of species are active early in the evening or at night. Different species living in the same habitat sometimes group together in sheltered habitats. Bristletails seem to follow certain routes as they search for food, suggesting that they are following trails of chemicals laid down by other bristletails. Bristletails jump by bending their bodies and then suddenly releasing the tip of t…

Bristletails: Microcoryphia - No Common Name (petrobius Brevistylis): Species Account

Physical characteristics: The body is as long as 0.43 inches (11 millimeters), not including the antennae and tails. Each of these structures is nearly as long as the body. They are covered with silvery gray scales, mixed with scattered patches of black scales. The antennae are completely covered with dark scales. Geographic range: The species is originally from northern Europe and has since becom…

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