(5 species)
Archaeognatha, the jumping bristletails, are a form of primitive wingless insect. Typical morphological features are the scales that cover most of the body and the compound eyes that meet broadly at the top of the head. Jumping bristletails have three appendages at the end of their bodies: two lateral cerci and one epiproct which is in the middle and is the longest of the three filaments. As the name suggests, jumping bristetails are able to jump into the air using their tails. There are two families of Archaeognatha which sum up to a total of approximately 350 species. Jumping bristetails are cosmopolitan, i.e. they are found all over the world in suitable habitats which include rocky shores and terrestrial habitats with little risk of dehydration (e.g. under stones, etc.).
