Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 7, 2026

Lepidotrix

Lepidotrix is an extinct genus of wingless insect belonging to Zygentoma in the family Lepidotrichidae. There is one described species in Lepidotrix, L. piliferum/pillifera. It is known from specimens found in Eocene aged Baltic amber and Rovno amber. The genus lacks occelli. Its relationship with the extant genus Tricholepidion, which has historically been placed in the same family, is disputed, with some studies finding the two taxa to not be closely related, with Tricholepidion being placed in its own family instead. While often spelled Lepidothrix in historic literature, this is homonymous with a genus of birds, and Lepidotrix was the spelling used in the original publication.

Last revised
Jun 7, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
233 w
Citations
5
Source
Lepidotrix
Temporal range:
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Zygentoma
Family: Lepidotrichidae
Genus: Lepidotrix
Menge, 1854
Species:
L. piliferum
Binomial name
Lepidotrix piliferum
Menge, 1854

Lepidotrix is an extinct genus of wingless insect belonging to Zygentoma (silverfish and allies) in the family Lepidotrichidae. There is one described species in Lepidotrix, L. piliferum/pillifera. It is known from specimens found in Eocene aged Baltic amber and Rovno amber.123 The genus lacks occelli. Its relationship with the extant genus Tricholepidion, which has historically been placed in the same family, is disputed, with some studies finding the two taxa to not be closely related, with Tricholepidion being placed in its own family instead.4 While often spelled Lepidothrix in historic literature, this is homonymous with a genus of birds, and Lepidotrix was the spelling used in the original publication.5

References

References

  1. "Lepidotrix". GBIF. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  2. "The Paleobiology Database, genus Lepidotrix". Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  3. Kaplin, V. G.; Perkovsky, E. E. (September 2018). "On the Fauna of Bristletails (Zygentoma, Microcoryphia) of the Rovno Amber". Paleontological Journal. 52 (5): 541–545. doi:10.1134/S0031030118050052. ISSN 0031-0301. S2CID 92606966.
  4. Grimaldi, David A. (March 2010). "400 million years on six legs: On the origin and early evolution of Hexapoda". Arthropod Structure & Development. 39 (2–3): 191–203. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2009.10.008. PMID 19883792.
  5. Zuccon, Dario (September 2011). "The case of Lepidothrix, Lepidotrix and Neolepidothrix: the importance of the original literature in taxonomic decisions". Zoosystematics and Evolution. 87 (2): 379–382. doi:10.1002/zoos.201100015.