Overview
Distinguished by having very small abdominal sterna which protrude slightly, if at all, between the coxites, by lacking scales on the legs, scape and pedicel, and by lacking parameres; the penis is very short.
The best known Australian species is
Allomachilis froggatti
, up to 15-18mm long, which occurs on the coastal cliffs of eastern, southern and south-western Australia. It has small exsertile vesicles on abdominal segments 2-4, and the 2nd segment of the male maxillary palp bears simple sensory setae.
The other Australian species are smaller, up to 7-12mm, have larger vesicles on abdominal segments 1-7, and the male maxillary palp bears an elaborate sense organ.
Nesomachilis
occurs in rainforest in Queensland and New South Wales. and on Lord Howe Island. Male
N. queenslandica
have highly developed claspers on the fore legs; similar but less elaborate claspers occur in
N. australica
and
N. tamborina
.
Machiloides hickmani
, with dumb-bell-shaped ocelli, is recorded from beach tussocks in Tasmania, and allied
Machiloides
occur near Canberra and Wollongong.
Undetermined Archaeognatha are known from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.