The

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Symphypleona is one of the three main groups of springtails (Collembola), tiny hexapods related to insects. When the springtails were still believed to be an order of insects, the Symphypleona were ranked as a

suborder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...

. They can be best distinguished from the other springtail groups by their body shape. The Symphypleona are very round animals, almost spherical, and usually have long

antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

e. The Poduromorpha, by contrast, always have short legs and a plump body, but more oval in shape than the Symphypleona. The

Entomobryomorpha The Entomobryomorpha are one of the three main groups (order) of springtails (Collembola), tiny hexapods related to insects. This group was formerly treated as a superfamily, the Entomobryoidea. They can be best distinguished from the other ...

are the slimmest springtails, some with long and some with short legs and antennae, but always with a very slender body.

Systematics

The Symphypleona order was previously suggested to also contain family

Neelidae Neelidae is a family of springtails in the order Neelipleona. There are at least 4 genera and more than 30 described species in Neelidae. Genera These four genera belong to the family Neelidae: * ''Megalothorax ''Megalothorax'' is a genus o ...

, as a very apomorphic relative in the

Sminthuridae Sminthuridae is a family of springtails of the order Symphypleona. Sminthurids are commonly referred to as globular springtails. Description Like other Symphypleona, Sminthuridae are globular in shape and have a furcula that allows them to ju ...

superfamily. Phylogenetic studies however suggest

to be the only family of Neelipleona order.Gao, Yan; Bu, Yun & Luan, Yun-Xia (2008): Phylogenetic Relationships of Basal Hexapods Reconstructed from Nearly Complete 18S and 28S rRNA Gene Sequences. '' Zool. Sci.'' 25(11): 1139-1145. (HTML abstract)

Families

The following is a list of the families within Symphypleona, grouped by superfamily. It includes extinct families known only from fossil remains. * Superfamily Sminthuridoidea :* Family

Mackenziellidae Mackenziellidae is a family of springtails belonging to the order Symphypleona The order Symphypleona is one of the three main groups of springtails (Collembola), tiny hexapods related to insects. When the springtails were still believed to b ...

:* Family

* Superfamily Katiannoidea :* Family Katiannidae :* Family

Spinothecidae The order Symphypleona is one of the three main groups of springtails (Collembola), tiny hexapods related to insects. When the springtails were still believed to be an order of insects, the Symphypleona were ranked as a suborder. They can be be ...

:* Family

Arrhopalitidae Arrhopalitidae is a family of springtails belonging to the order Symphypleona. Genera Arrhopalitidae includes the following genera: * ''Arrhopalites ''Arrhopalites'' is a genus of springtails in the family Sminthuridae. Species * '' Arrho ...

:* Family

Collophoridae The order Symphypleona is one of the three main groups of springtails (Collembola), tiny hexapods related to insects. When the springtails were still believed to be an order of insects, the Symphypleona were ranked as a suborder. They can be b ...

* Superfamily Sturmioidea :* Family

Sturmiidae The order Symphypleona is one of the three main groups of springtails (Collembola), tiny hexapods related to insects. When the springtails were still believed to be an order of insects, the Symphypleona were ranked as a suborder. They can be b ...

* Superfamily Sminthuroidea :* Family

:* Family

Bourletiellidae Bourletiellidae is a family of springtails in the order Symphypleona The order Symphypleona is one of the three main groups of springtails (Collembola), tiny hexapods related to insects. When the springtails were still believed to be an orde ...

* Superfamily Dicyrtomoidea :* Family

Dicyrtomidae Dicyrtomidae is a family of Collembola in the order Symphypleona, and it is the only family of the superfamily Dicyrtomoidea. It includes more than 200 species in eight genera. Genera According to ''Checklist of the Collembola of the World'': ...

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q915691 Collembola