(No common name)

FAMILY

Machilidae

TAXONOMY

Trigoniophthalmus alternatus Silvestri, 1904, Italy.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

None known.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Body scaling largely pale, with dark scales forming a patchwork pattern. Antennae, palps, and tail appendages covered with dark scales and numerous, narrow rings of lighter scales. Simple eyes triangular in shape.

DISTRIBUTION

Europe except Portugal and Scandinavia; also recorded from Iran. Introduced into eastern United States, first recorded in 1911.

HABITAT

Disturbed, rocky areas. Frequently found in rural and semiurban settings, inhabiting rock walls, cement building walls, and quarries. A historical account of this species (Stach, 1939, as listed in Wygodzinsky and Schmidt, 1980) living on bricks at a steamboat landing offers an interesting possible explanation as to how these insects become introduced.

BEHAVIOR

Crepuscular, active only briefly, just before and just after twilight. Gregarious, with groups sometimes numbering in the hundreds. When inactive, individuals conceal themselves close to the ground, such as beneath rocks or building foundations.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Grazes on green algae.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Some populations are parthenogenetic, consisting entirely of females that do not require males for reproduction. Partheno-genesis permits a single individual to establish a population. Eggs are laid on the underside of rocks, avoiding soil contact.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not threatened.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.