Xenolepisma Mendes, 1981

Smith, Graeme B., 2015, New Silverfish Taxa from Queensland (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae), Records of the Australian Museum 67 (3), pp. 67-81 : 74

Xenolepisma Mendes, 1981

Asterolepisma (Xenolepisma) Mendes, 1981: 201 . Type species: Lepisma globosa Escherich, 1905 (original designation).

Xenolepisma Mendes, 1988: 12 .

Diagnosis. (adapted from Mendes, 1988, and Irish, 1990). Body short, limuloid, up to 7 mm in length. Thorax wider than the base of the abdomen, about equal to or longer than half the abdomen’s length, not very detached from its base and fairly convex. Pigment present. Body covered in scales, macrochaetae smooth, simple, bifid or trifid apically. Head small, free, without special characteristics; chaetotaxy of head consisting of a few macrochaetae around the eyes and a weakly developed band of setae and macrochaetae across the frons/clypeus between the antennae, clypeus and labrum with simple setae (see also Mendes, 1988, fig. 282). Eyes placed well forward and of medium development with intense pigment.Antennal sensillae asteriform. Maxillae palps small. Ultimate article of labial palp with five sensorial papillae of the compact type in two lines. All trichobothrial areas of all nota closed, encircled by scales and not in contact with edges of the respective nota; setal collar absent. Posterior margin of the nota with or without submarginal macrochaetae. Prosternum smaller than the remaining thoracic sternites. Legs typical for subfamily except tarsi of only three articles, pretarsi with two lateral claws and a shorter medial empodial claw; pulvilli absent. PIII of ♂ not modified. Urotergites I – IX with 1+1 infralateral marginal macrochaetae; urotergite I with additional 1+1 or 5+5 submarginal posterior isolated macrochaetae; urotergites II–VIII with at least an additional 2+2 submarginal isolated macrochaetae and as many as 5+5 on the more anterior segments ( II – V). Urotergite X trapezoidal, its posterior edge straight or concave. Urosternite I without comb of setae, II with a medium comb, III–VII (in ♀) on III–VIII (in the ♂) with one medium comb and 1+1 lateral combs. Stylets present in two pairs, on coxites VIII and IX. Penis of the usual shape, the parameres sacciform, strongly reduced. Ovipositor of the primary type and with subparallel sides. Cerci and median terminal filament short, very much shorter than half of the length of the abdomen .