Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

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Family MEINERTELLIDAE


Compiler and date details

G.B. Smith, Bayer Australia Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Introduction

The Meinertellidae is the more derived of the two extant families of Archaeognatha. Species are distinguished from those of the Machilidae (sens. lat.) by their very small abdominal sterna. One hundred and forty-four species in 16 genera have been described. Sturm (1984) reviewed the evolution and distribution of the family and Mendes (1981) published a key to the genera. Meinertellids are found in all zoogeographical regions but they are most common in the southern hemisphere.
The Australian fauna is poorly known. Ten species in five genera are recorded. Two genera (Allomachilis Silvestri and Machilelloides Sturm & Smith) are endemic and a third (Nesomachilis Tillyard) is only known from Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and New Guinea. Womersley (1939) reviewed the Australian fauna and Sturm (1980) revised the genus Nesomachilis.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
07-Aug-2012 07-Aug-2012 MOVED
12-Feb-2010 (import)