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Symphylans: Symphyla

Symphylans And People

Symphylans are small, secretive animals that do not bite or sting and are largely unknown to the public. Garden symphylans damage crops such as pineapple, beets, potatoes, beans, and many others. They are sometimes a pest in greenhouses.

LIKE TWO SHIPS PASSING IN THE NIGHT

Males and females of Scutigerella do not have be in the same place at the same time to reproduce. Each male produces up to 450 sperm packets and places them on top of short stalks of silk. Later, females walk through the patches of packets and gobble up to eighteen each day. Most are swallowed and digested, but some are stored in special sacs in her mouth. Afterward she gently removes each egg from her reproductive organs and fertilizes them in her mouth.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceInsects and SpidersSymphylans: Symphyla - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Symphylans And People, Garden Symphylan (scutigerella Immaculata): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS