Adult Males

1.  
   • Left cercus with terminal segment normal, clearly delimited by a membranous joint, basal segment often inwardly lobed but never echinulate; hind basitarsus with only 1 (terminal) ventral papilla Oligotomidae
   • Left cercus with terminal segment partially or entirely combined with basal segment, the composite segment with one or more echinulate inner areas or lobes; hind basitarsus usually with 2 ventral papillae 2
2.  
   • Usually winged; if apterous, basal segment of right cercus elongate and similar to the terminal segment; S9 of abdomen (hypandrium) continuously produced caudally as a subgenital lobe (HP) Notoligotomidae
   • Always apterous; basal segment of right cercus very short, hemispherical; S9 with caudal margin transverse, and with a nearly completely detached, large, triangular sclerite (HP?) on its right caudal half Australembiidae

*Note

An interactive key to Embioptera is currently not available. The dichotomous one from The Insects of Australia (Second Edition, 1991) has been provided until the interactive one is ready. This key is presented as it originally appeared; no attempt to update it or the classification has been made.