Nicoletiidae Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Atelura formicaria | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Zygentoma |
Family: | Nicoletiidae Escherich, 1905 |
Subfamilies include[1] | |
Atelurinae |
Nicoletiidae is a family of primitive insects belonging to the order Zygentoma. These insects live primarily underground, under detritus, or in caves. A few species are recorded as commensals inside nests of social insects, such as the species Allotrichotriura saevissima which lives inside fire ant nests.[1] Nicoletiids lack eyes and they lack pigmentation. They have long antennae and terminal abdominal filaments.[2] Coletinia, a genus of this family, range in size between 10 and 15mm, and may have yellowish pigmentation but most species are transparent.[3]