Campodeoidea

Campodeoidea is a superfamily of diplurans, a small group of primitive, wingless hexapods within the subclass Entognatha. It comprises two living families, Campodeidae and Procampodeidae. Members are elongate, slender, and pale, typically eyeless or with reduced eyes, and they possess two long, threadlike cerci at the posterior end; the antennae are well developed. They differ from japygids, another dipluran group, which bear forceps-like cerci.

Biology and morphology: Individuals are soft-bodied and rely on tactile and chemical cues to locate food. Mouthparts are entognathous, lying within the head capsule. Development is ametabolous, meaning juveniles resemble adults.

Habitat and ecology: Campodeoids inhabit moist soil, leaf litter, decaying wood, moss, and the humus layer in forests, grasslands, and some cave environments. They feed on a mix of detritus, fungal hyphae, bacteria, and small invertebrates. Reproduction is sexual in many species; eggs are laid in soil or under debris, and juveniles undergo molts without a pupal stage.

Distribution: They have a cosmopolitan distribution, particularly in temperate and tropical regions, where they are common in soils and litter layers.

Taxonomy and phylogeny: Campodeoidea is recognized as a dipluran superfamily in many classifications. The group's exact phylogenetic relationships within Diplura and with other entognathans have varied with different data sets, and some classifications place Campodeidae and Procampodeidae in related lineages within Diplura. The fossil record for Diplura dates back to the Paleozoic, contributing to discussions of early hexapod evolution.