A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
cf. Neomachilellus sp.
(Wygodzinsky, 1953)
This is the first photographical register of an this species to the location. / Este é o primeiro registro fotográfico da espécie para a localização.
Monocondylia: Archaeognatha (= Microcoryphia): Machiloidea: Meinertellidae: Meinertellinae - Part or most of this can be discarded if this proves to be another genus. / Parte ou a maioria disto pode ser descartado se tratar-se de outro gênero.
Size: < 20mm.
Other name: Hump-Backed Bristletail.
English and Portuguese version about this insect in the notes. / Versão em Português e em Inglês deste inseto nas notas.
Their habitats are wet rainforests, where this one was found. Their thin exoskeleton is very prone to dehydration, so they need a very humid habitat to live in.
Seus habitats são florestas úmidas, onde este foi achado. Seu fino exoesqueleto é muito susceptível à desidratação, então eles precisam de um habitat úmido para viverem.
LEIA A DESCRIÇÃO ACIMA!
Agradecimentos vão para a minha querida, querida amiga Kel Silva (https://www.facebook.com/sckel) e para o Cesar do Insetologia (http://www.insetologia.com.br/2018/02/tr...) por providenciarem a identificação desse registro.
Neomachilellus é um gênero de traças-saltadoras da subclasse Monocondylia, ordem Archaeognatha (= Microcoryphia), superfamília Machiloidea, família Meinertellidae e subfamília Meinertellinae.
Traças-saltadoras são criaturas pouco conhecidas e esta foto pode ser o primeiro registro existente de um Neomachilellus na Internet. Ecdise é feita quando o inseto fixa-se ao solo através do seu conteúdo fecal. Eles possuem palpos mandibulares grandes que usam para se alimentar de matéria orgânica em decomposição, líquens, algas e musgos.
Neomachilellus vivem em florestas inadulteradas, normalmente escalando plantas ou se escondendo debaixo de pedras e troncos, onde absorvem umidade com vesículas eversíveis localizadas no abdome.
Suas antenas não possuem escamas, e os segmentos abdominais 2 à 7 não excedem duas vesículas eversíveis, que também podem inexistir. Os Archaeognatha são os insetos mais basais. Há aproximadamente 350 espécies nesta ordem com menos de 20mm em comprimento. São capazes de pular distâncias de até 10cm, caso sintam-se ameaçados através do flexionar do abdome. Nesta ordem, para atingir a fase adulta os imaturos passam por pelo menos 8 ínstares, e alguns continuam a fazer ecdise após a fase adulta. Os Archaeognatha demonstram grandes olhos compostos, com cerca de três ocelos. Não passam por relação sexual direta; os machos soltam os espermatóforos (uma cápsula ou bolsa feita de proteína que contém os espermatozoides liberados pelo macho que são transferidos para a fêmea) no substrato que são coletados pelas fêmeas. Membros dos Archaeognatha são anciões, e este nome traduz-se em "mandíbulas anciãs".
Seus corpos são alongados. Possuem três "rabos"; dois são cercos (estruturas com funções sensoriais, defensivas ou reprodutivas que também podem ser, às vezes, sem função) e o outro é um epiproto (uma estrutura próxima ao ânus de alguns insetos que pode possuir funções respiratórias ou reprodutivas que nem sempre são homólogas. Alguns podem servir de proteção para o ânus). Podem desidratarem-se com facilidade por conta de seu fino exoesqueleto, razão pela qual eles preferem viver em terras úmidas. Seu aparato bucal é, de certa forma, retrátil e as antenas flexíveis. Sua aparência pode ser uma boa camuflagem em ambientes de folhagem em decomposição, como ressaltado pelo amigo Mário Net. Sua importância na natureza pode ser observada, entre outros papéis, como recicladores naturais de matéria orgânica em decomposição.
No local do registro, há apenas duas espécies documentadas, Neomachilellus plaumanni e Neomachilellus santacatarinensis: https://books.google.com.br/books?id=Lix...
Taxonomia para o gênero Neomachilellus: http://insectoid.info/insecta/archaeogna...
ENGLISH VERSION HERE:
READ THE DESCRIPTION ABOVE!
Thank you to my dear, dear friend Kel Silva (www.facebook.com/sckel) and Cesar of Insetologia (http://www.insetologia.com.br/2018/02/tr...) for providing the identification to this register.
Neomachilellus is a genus of rock bristletails in the subclass Monocondylia, order Archaeognatha (= Microcoryphia), superfamily Machiloidea, family Meinertellidae and subfamily Meinertellinae.
Bristletails are very lilttle studied creatures and this photo might be the first picture of a Neomachilellus in the Internet. Moulting is done by fixing themselves on the substract through their fecal matter. They possess large jaw palps that they use to feed on decaying organic matter, lichens, algae and mosses.
Neomachilellus live in unadulterated forests, often climbing plants or under rocks and trunks, where they absorb humidity with eversible vesicules on their abdomen.
The antennae don't have scales, and the abdominal segments 2 through 7 doesn't exceed two eversible vesicules, with these being often inexistent. The Archaeognatha are the most basal of insects. There are around 350 species in this order with less than 20mm in length. They are able to jump distances of up to 10cm if they feel threatened by flexing their abdomen. In this order, to reach adulthood, the offspring needs to go through at least 8 instars, but some still moult after adulthood. The Archaeognatha displays large composite eyes with three oceli. They don't go through direct sexual intercourse; the males leave the spermatophores (a capsule or pouch made of proteins that contain the sperm released by the male and transferred to the female) on the substract, which are collected by the females. Members of Archaeognatha are ancient, and this name translates as "ancient jaws".
Their bodies are elongated. They possess three "tails"; two are cerci (structures with sensory, defensive or reproductive functions, which are, sometimes, functionless) and the other is an epiproct (a structure next to the anus of a few insects that can have respiratory roles and reproductive roles which are not always homologous. Some can also serve as protection to the anus). They can get dehydrated really fast due to their thin exoskeleton, which is why they prefer wet lands to dwell. Their bucal apparatus is somewhat retractable and the antennae are flexible. Their appearance can serve as camouflage in environments of decaying foliage, as noted by my friend Mário Net. Their importance in nature can be observed, among other roles, as natural recyclers of decaying organic matter.
In the location of this register, there are only two known species, Neomachilellus plaumanni and Neomachilellus santacatarinensis: https://books.google.com.br/books?id=Lix...
Taxonomy for Neomachilellus: http://insectoid.info/insecta/archaeogna...
Spotted on Mar 9, 2017
Submitted on Feb 22, 2018
7 Comments
Daniele, again, thank you. And I apologize to everyone for my negligence on this; what I can asure and, in my defence, is that it was not intentional by any means, and that this case is not over yet, I will keep on searching and asking around until I can find a reliable answer, even if it takes years. I'd like to emphasize this: If anyone has suggestions on a possible identification on any of my posts or any information that might raise questionings surrounding an ID I gave, please tell me; even though my researches are all thorough and I know people that can help, I'm not perfect and I might miss some key elements.
As can be seen from my posts, I always provide sources and links that display my process of investigation, I only give what I know and I never asure anything unless I'm certain, but as said previously, I might miss some key elements that may eventually mislead. Again, I apologize. Kind regards from Brazil.
Thanks for your reply and for being so thorough about revising your notes Oscar. The paucity of photographic and descriptive information online about this genus is what prompted me to check it further. I think leaving it at cf. Neomachilellus sp. is the right choice. It makes the spotting no less interesting, and it'll hopefully be noticed by specialists of this group.
Description updated.
Daniele, now that you mentioned it, something rung in my head. According to the sources I provided, there are only two species of Archaeognatha described in the region of the register. Those species are Neomachilellus plaumanni and Neomachilellus santacatarinensis. There are no other registers to date. At the time of the post, I made a thorough research and could find absolutely no other possibility. A day after posting, I decided to do yet another research and ask fellow colleagues and everything kept pointing out towards Neomachilellus. But now that you mentioned it, I suddenly realized that distribution status is all I have, and that this can also be another species not yet described to the location. So, in sum, we have two possibilities here: 1 - it is a Neomachilellus sp. OR 2 - it is a new species not yet described to the location at hand. Giving this doubt a chance, I will update the post as "cf. Neomachilellus sp." and point out my suspicions.
Thank you very much for this comment as it helps finding out the truth I did not notice before. I'm always thorough on my researches, but that possibility didn't occur to me at the time, and every single thing pointed out to this genus. However, now that there is an ounce of doubt, I don't feel like risking a genus and will update this accordingly. Fellow friends and colleagues are always welcome to post suggestions and to correct me if I ever get anything wrong and point out any doubts they have.
Fantastic spotting Oscar! Can you tell us more about which criteria were used to assign it to this genus? I followed your links but couldn't quite figure it out.
Thank you for the compliment armadeus.4 :)
This is an awesome spotting Oscar! Great information. Thank you for sharing :)