Rock Bristletail vs Forest Bristletail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rock Bristletail Forest Bristletail
Scientific Name Petrobius brevistylis Machilis hrabei
Order Archaeognatha Archaeognatha
Family Machilidae Machilidae
Size 9-12 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Forests
Diet Omnivores Detritivores
Regions Europe Central Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rock Bristletail

A coastal bristletail found on rocky shores from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. It has shorter cerci than the related P. maritimus.

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Did You Know?

It can tolerate brief immersion in seawater during high tides.

Forest Bristletail

A central European bristletail inhabiting forest leaf litter and mossy rocks. It is one of many Machilis species found in Europe.

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Did You Know?

The genus Machilis was one of the first bristletail genera ever described.