Family APACHYIDAE

Apachyidae

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Introduction

The Apachyidae are a highly specialised family represented by two genera and 15 species, restricted to the Eastern Hemisphere. Dendroiketes Burr is restricted to Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and the Philippines (Steinmann 1989a, 1989b). The genus Apachyus Audinet-Serville is known in Australia from three described species. Apachyus athertonensis Mjöberg and A. queenslandicus Mjöberg are restricted to Queensland, and Apachyus peterseni Borelli, a very large species, is found mainly in montane areas of the central region of the Great Dividing Range.

The family is characterised by the strongly dorso-ventrally flattened body and projection of the tenth abdominal tergite which forms the anal process, or the squamopygidium. The neck is forficuloid, with the posterior ventral sclerite larger than the anterior ventral sclerite. The forceps are more or less symmetrical and are diagnostic for both sexes at the species level. The male genitalia have two parameres and two genital lobes, one directed anteriorly, the other posteriorly. Each genital lobe has a small vesicle and elongate virga.

The biology of the apachyids is poorly known but the strongly depressed body form is indicative of life under bark and indeed Apachyus peterseni is known to occur under bark of Eucalyptus L'Héritier species. Rentz & Kevan (1991) report that apachyids occur on eastern coastal plains and tablelands in rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests.

General References

Rentz, D.C.F. & Kevan, D.K.McE. 1991. Dermaptera (Earwigs). pp. 360-368 in CSIRO (ed.). The Insects of Australia. A textbook for students and research workers. Melbourne : Melbourne University Press Vol. 1 xiii 542 pp.

Steinmann, H. 1989a. World Catalogue of Dermaptera. Dordrecht : Kluwer Academic Publishers 934 pp.

Steinmann, H. 1989b. Dermaptera. Catadermaptera II. Das Tierreich 105: xix 1-504

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