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Archaeognatha

Common name:

Jumping bristletails

Distribution:

Every continent except Antarctica

Habitat:

Forest (leaf litter and among stones) and seashore

Diet:

Algae, lichen, mosses

Number of species globally

500

Number of species in Hong Kong :

2

Morphology
(how to recognize them) :

-Wingless
-Body elongated and back arched
-Long antennae
-eyes meeting at the top of the head
-Three long tail-like structures with the middle one longer

Diagram

Did you know ?

Jumping bristletails present courtship: a male spins a thread from his abdomen and string packages of sperm along it. After a courtship dance, the female picks up the sperms, immediately fertilize her eggs, and lays about 30 eggs in a crevice.

Gallery

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