Protura

Order

PROTURA
(Greek, protos= first; oura= tail)

Description

Protura are small, pale, delicate arthropods that generally inhabit leaf litter and the surface layers of soil. They are small arthropods closely related to insects but they lack antennae. The first pair of legs (forelegs) are not used for walking but are thrust forward and are used by the insect in place of antennae. The mandibles are well developed. The eyes are either absent or reduced to sensory spots on either side of the head (pseudoculi). Protura are wingless. The abdomen is elongate with about 12 segments.

Life Cycle

Immature Protura are similar to adults but have fewer abdominal segments. The abdominal segments increase in number through moulting and this is termed anamorphosis. Proturans can be found in soil, moss and leaf litter but their biology and ecology are as yet not completely known.

Distribution

Cosmopolitan

Members

Proturans.

Food

Proturans feed on fungi and other decaying organic matter.

Importance

The importance of proturans is unknown other than the usual roles played by organisms in the forest litter re-cycling system.