Family HYPOGASTRURIDAE
Compiler and date details
Penelope Greenslade, School of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Introduction
This is a small and relatively well known family with seven genera and 29 species and subspecies in Australia. No Australian species have yet been described in two other genera, Willemia Börner, 1901 and a new undescribed genus near Acherontiellina Salmon, 1964. The genera Hypogastrura and Ceratophysella are predominantly Holarctic in distribution and it is probable that all species in Australia have been introduced relatively recently. Only the genera Triacanthella and Xenylla are known to have species endemic to Australia. Xenylla was studied by Gama (1974, 1979, 1981) and it is unlikely that there are many more species to be added to those listed here. There are, however, undescribed species in the genus Triacanthella. Species of Hypogastrura and Ceratophysella are found mainly in cool, humid climates, in habitats that have been disturbed by man. Triacanthella has a boreal and austral distribution, while Xenylla is cosmopolitan and occurs in most parts of Australia, including tropical areas. Members of this family are generally found in leaf litter and the upper levels of the soil; a few species occur in caves and intertidally, while some Xenylla species are found under bark. A key to Australian species of Xenylla is given by Gama & Greenslade (1981).
Diagnosis
Characterised by: thorax I developed and setose, mandibular plate present, microsetae s' absent on thorax III, maxilla with stout cardo between stipes and fulcrum, anal spines usually present.
General References
Gama Assalino, M.M. & Greenslade, Penelope 1981. Relationships between the distribution and phylogeny of Xenylla (Collembola: Hypogastruridae) species in Australia and New Zealand. Revue d'Ecologie et de Biologie du Sol 18(2): 269-284
Gama, M.M. da 1974. Systématique évolutive des Xenylla. VII. Espèces provenant d'Australie. Ciência Biológica 1: 71-83
Gama, M.M. da 1980. Evolutionary systematics of Xenylla. XI. Species from the Australian region (Insecta: Collembola). Records of the South Australian Museum 18(5): 123-129 [dated 1979]
Gama, M.M. da 1981. Evolutionary systematics of Xenylla XII. Redescription of X. occidentalis Womersley and a comparison of the chaetotaxy of X. arenosa Uchida & Tamura and X. littoralis Womersley (Insecta: Collembola). Records of the South Australian Museum 18(10): 223-226
Thibaud, J., Schulz, H. & da Gama Assalino, M.M. 2004. Synopses on Palaearctic Collembola. Herrnut : Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz Vol. 4 pp. 1-287
Thibaud, J.-M. 1970. Biologie et écologie des collemboles Hypogastruridae édaphiques et cavernicoles. Mémoires du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris A 61: 83-201