Family PROTENTOMIDAE

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Introduction

The Protentomidae is a cosmopolitan family. The body form is stout and mouth-parts are relatively sturdy. Lacinia of maxillae are slightly hook-shaped or straight. Tracheae and thoracic spiracles are absent.

The family was erected by Ewing (1936) after Mills (1932) and restored the genus name Protentomon and replaced the subfamily name Meroentominae (as Meroentomoninae) with Protentominae (as Protentomoninae). Tuxen & Yin (1982) presented a revised subfamily classification and defined Fujientominae Tuxen & Yin, Hesperentominae Tuxen, Condeellinae Tuxen & Yin and Protenominae Ewing. Yin (1984), however, raised Fujientominae and Hesperentominae to family status.

Only one species is known from Australia and this probably introduced.

General References

Ewing, H.E. 1936. Synonymy and synopsis of the genera of the order Protura. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 49: 156-166

Mills, H.B. 1932. Catalogue of the Protura. Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 27: 125-130

Tuxen, S.L. & Yin, W.Y. 1982. A revised subfamily classification of the genera of Portentomidae (Insecta: Protura) with description of a new genus and a new species. Steenstrupia 8: 229-249

Yin, W.Y. 1984. A new idea on phylogeny of Protura with approach to its origin and systematic position. Scientia Sinica B 27(2): 149-160

History of changes