Which order includes wingless hexapods with two long tails and two long antennae and monocondylic mandibles?

Which order includes wingless hexapods with two long tails and two long antennae and monocondylic mandibles?

• A. Protura
• B. Collembola
• C. Diplura
• D. Ephemeroptera

Answer: (C)

Think about a primitive, wingless hexapod with clear rear appendages and long sensing antennae. The two long cerci at the abdomen’s end (the tails) plus two long antennae point to Diplura. They are small, soil-dwelling arthropods with monocondylic mandibles—one articulation in their mouthparts—which is a primitive feature shared by some of the most basal hexapods. This combination distinguishes them from the other groups: Protura lack visible antennae and tail cerci; Collembola don’t have long rear cerci and have a different jumping-related structure; Ephemeroptera (mayflies) have wings as adults and typically three tail filaments, not two. So the described group is Diplura.

Think about a primitive, wingless hexapod with clear rear appendages and long sensing antennae. The two long cerci at the abdomen’s end (the tails) plus two long antennae point to Diplura. They are small, soil-dwelling arthropods with monocondylic mandibles—one articulation in their mouthparts—which is a primitive feature shared by some of the most basal hexapods. This combination distinguishes them from the other groups: Protura lack visible antennae and tail cerci; Collembola don’t have long rear cerci and have a different jumping-related structure; Ephemeroptera (mayflies) have wings as adults and typically three tail filaments, not two. So the described group is Diplura.