Family Scolopocryptopidae Pocock, 1896

Diagnosis. Eyes absent. Labrum with a single median tooth (Fig. 23); maxillae 2 with pectinate pretarsus (Figs 10, 13, 16, 24) which consists of two well-distinguishable parts (darker basal and a semi-transparent apical ones, see fig. 2 in Schileyko 2018) but is not accompanied by any projections or accessory spine(s). Forcipular coxosternite with chitinised anterior margin (Figs 8, 21), rarely with short projections (Figs 9, 22) but never with prominent toothplates. Forcipular trochantero-prefemur with or without process. Sternites usually with variably expressed median longitudinal sulcus/suture, and rarely (in Kethopinae Shelley, 2002) with a transverse suture(s). Coxopleuron with or without process. 23 LBS; spiracles on macrosegments (7 th LBS with or without them), spiracles open, lacking flaps (Fig. 25, fig. 5A in Vahtera et al.) 2012b. Ultimate LBS considerably shorter than the penultimate one. Ultimate legs of four types (see below the subfamilial diagnoses). Tarsi of locomotory legs with two articles; legs with or without 1 or 2 tibial spurs and 1 tarsal spur. Ultimate leg prefemur with spinous processes. Edgecombe & Bonato (2011) also wrote: “Gizzard with stiff, pineapple-shaped, projections; main zone of projections having a kink near their midlength”.

Number of subtaxa. 3 subfamilies, 4 genera.

Range. Caribbean Islands, Cocos Island, North, Central and South America; W Africa; China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Sunda Archipelago, New Guinea, Fiji.

Remarks. Treated as a family in Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 403), Vahtera et al. (2012a: 4), Vahtera et al. (2012b: 232), Edgecombe et al. (2012: 768).