Arixeniidae is a family of

earwig Earwigs make up the insect order (biology), order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cercus, cerci, a pair of forceps-like pincer (biology), pincers on ...

s in the suborder

Neodermaptera Neodermaptera, sometimes called Catadermaptera,BioLib.cz
suborder Catadermaptera Steinmann, 1986 (retrieved 16 Se ...

. Arixeniidae was formerly considered a suborder, Arixeniina, but was reduced in rank to family and included in the new suborder Neodermaptera. Arixeniidae is represented by two genera, '' Arixenia'' and '' Xeniaria'', with a total of five species. '' Arixenia esau'' and '' Xeniaria jacobsoni'' are the most well-known. As with Hemimerina, they are blind, wingless

ectoparasite Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted str ...

s with filiform segmented cerci. They are ectoparasites of various Southeast Asian bats, particularly of the genus '' Cheiromeles'' (i.e., "naked bulldog bats").

Genera

The family includes the following genera: * '' Arixenia'' Jordan, 1909 * '' Xeniaria'' Maa, 1974

References

External links

An example specimen of the species ''Arixenia esau'' from the Tree of Life ''(note that the species is incorrectly labeled)''

An example of a female ''Arixenia esau'' from the Australian National Insect Collection
Dermaptera families Arixeniina {{earwig-stub