Diversity, ecology, distribution and biogeography of Diplura

Abstract

Diplura is the sister group to insects and one of the three basal hexapod groups with unique entognathan mouthparts. The order is divided into 10 families, which include 1008 species in 141 genera, with a high proportion of monotypic genera. They are ubiquitous in soils and subsurface terrestrial habitats, as well as have an important role in overall biogeochemical cycles. We present the first comprehensive review of the global biodiversity and ecology of Diplura. We highlight four aspects of this basal hexapod group: diversity in morphological body plans and sizes; ecology in terrestrial environments from soil to caves; food preference and trophic levels, and their biogeographical and paleobiogeographical significance. Diplura depends on high humidity and moderate temperatures. They are presumably very sensitive to anthropogenic pressures and climate change, and therefore are a suitable model for ecophysiological studies and evident priority targets for conservation. We conclude that the future efforts should focus on establishing a molecular phylogeny to clarify the relationships between and within families, as well as to reveal global biogeographical patterns. This will require an increase in sampling effort in several regions of the globe, especially in tropical regions.

Feeding habits and multifunctional classification of soil‐associated consumers from protists to vertebrates

“…Japygoidea range from 1.5 mm to 8 cm in body length and have unsegmented pincer-shaped cerci heavily sclerotised and with muscles suggesting an offensive or defensive role, and mouthparts optimised for perforating and tearing. These Diplura are mostly predators feeding on small arthropods such as mites, springtails, symphylans, insect larvae and also other Diplura, rarely woodlice, but also are known to feed on organic debris and fungal mycelia and spores (Pagés, 1951;Bauer & Christian, 2007;Sendra et al, 2021). Within Japygidae, Heterojapygidae, Dinjapygidae and Gigasjapyginae are top invertebrate predators (Gonzalez, 1964), while Parajapygidae and perhaps Evalljapygidae species feed on plant roots including crops (Smith, 1960;Reddell, 1983).…”

Tropical land use alters functional diversity of soil food webs and leads to monopolization of the detrital energy channel

“…Unexpectedly, micropredators (e.g., Diplura and Pseudoscorpiones) had higher trophic positions (Δ 15 N values) than macropredators (e.g., Araneae and Formicidae) across all land-use systems, and Diplura had the highest Δ 15 N values among all taxa studied. Diplura were represented mostly by predatory Japygidae, which may hunt springtails, mites and other small invertebrates (Sendra et al, 2021). The higher trophic position of small-sized predators suggest that they form part of a different energy channel than macropredators.…”

Soil Arthropods in the Douro Demarcated Region Vineyards: General Characteristics and Ecosystem Services Provided

“…Diplura (Figure 4d,e) usually live in the deeper layers of the soil or the litter layer, preferring soils with relatively high and stable moisture content due to their extreme susceptibility to desiccation [7]. Diplura depend on high humidity and moderate temperatures and are presumably very sensitive to anthropogenic pressures and climate change [96] The superfamilies in this order have different feeding habits: Campodeoidea feed on algae, bacteria, fungi, small fragments of litter, and dead soil animals [7,97], although they also feed on small larvae of insects, mainly Diptera [97]. Japygoidea and Projapygoidea are hunters, feeding on small arthropods, such as collembolans and mites, as well as nematodes and enchytraeids [9,97].…”