science

Pygidicranidae

Pygidicranidae is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pygidicranidae rather than just read about it. In short: Pygidicranidae is a family of earwigs in the suborder Neodermaptera. The family currently contains twelve subfamilies and twenty six genera.

Key takeaways

Pygidicranidae belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pygidicranidae to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pygidicranidae from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Pygidicranidae is a family of earwigs in the suborder Neodermaptera. The family currently contains twelve subfamilies and twenty six genera. Eight of the subfamilies are monotypic, each containing a single genus. Of the subfamilies, both Astreptolabidinae and Burmapygiinae are extinct and known solely from fossils found in Burmese amber. Similarly Archaeosoma, Gallinympha, and Geosoma, which have not been placed into any of the subfamilies, are also known only from fossils. Living members of the family are found in Australia, South Africa, North America, and Asia. The monotypic genus Anataelia, described by Ignacio Bolivar in 1899, is found only on the Canary Islands. As with all members of Neodermaptera, pygidicranids do not have any ocelli. The typical pygidicranid bodyplan includes a small, flattened-looking body, which has a dense covering of bristly hairs (setae). The pair of cerci at the end of the abdomen are symmetrical in structure. The head is broad, with the fourth, fifth and sixth antenna segments (antennomeres) that are not transverse. In general Pygidicranids also have equally sized ventral cervical sclerites, and in having the rearmost sclerite separated from, or only touching the center of the prosternum. Cannibalism of young has been observed in at least one species in the family, Challia hongkongensis, in which an adult female was found eating a still-living nymph of the same species. The same species in a different area has been observed possibly eating fruits or seeds, making the species an omnivore.

Taxonomy Current Pygidicranidae subfamilies and genera, as listed in the Dermaptera Species File. Pygidicranidae Verhoeff, 1902

Genus Cylindopygia Yang et al. 2015 (Aptian;Yixian Formation) Subfamily Anataeliinae Burr, 1909 (Syn. Anataelinae) Genus Anataelia Bolivar, 1899 Subfamily †Astreptolabidinae Engel, 2011 Genus †Astreptolabis Engel, 2011 (Cenomanian; Burmese Amber) Subfamily Blandicinae Burr, 1915 Genus Alloblandex Hincks, 1957 Genus Austroblandex Brindle, 1987 Genus Blandex Burr, 1912 Genus Parablandex Brindle, 1966 Subfamily Brindlensiinae Srivastava, 1985 Genus Brindlensia Srivastava, 1985 Subfamily †Burmapygiinae Engel & Grimaldi, 2004 Genus †Burmapygia Engel & Grimaldi, 2004 (Cenomanian; Burmese Amber) Subfamily Challiinae Steinmann, 1973 (Syn. Challinae) Genus Challia Burr, 1904 Subfamily Cylindrogastrinae Maccagno, 1929 Genus Cylindrogaster Stal, 1855 Subfamily Diplatymorphinae Boeseman, 1954 Genus Diplatymorpha Boeseman, 1954 Subfamily Echinosomatinae Burr, 1910 (Syn. Prolabisciinae, Prolabiscinae, Protolabidinae, Protolabinae) Genus Echinosoma AudinetServille, 1839 Genus Parapsalis Borelli, 1921 Subfamily Esphalmeninae Burr, 1909 Genus Esphalmenus Burr, 1909 Subfamily Pygidicraninae Verhoeff, 1902 Genus Acrania Burr, 1915 Genus Cranopygia Burr, 1908 Genus Dacnodes Burr, 1907 Genus Mucrocranopygia Steinmann, 1986 Genus Paracranopygia Steinmann, 1986 Genus Pygidicrana AudinetServille, 1831 Genus Tagalina Dohrn, 1862 Subfamily Pyragrinae Verhoeff, 1902 Genus Echinopsalis de Bormans, 1893 Genus Pyragra AudinetServille, 1831 Genus Pyragropsis Borelli, 1908 Subfamily incertae sedis Genus †Archaeosoma Zhang, 1994 Genus †Gallinympha Perrichot & Engel, 2011 Genus †Geosoma Zhang, 1997

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pygidicranidae

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pygidicranidae claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pygidicranidae before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pygidicranidae ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pygidicranidae

In research: Pygidicranidae appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pygidicranidae in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pygidicranidae is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Dermaptera families, Earwigs, Taxa named by Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pygidicranidae outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Pygidicranidae in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pygidicranidae means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pygidicranidae out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pygidicranidae in simple terms?

Pygidicranidae is a family of earwigs in the suborder Neodermaptera. The family currently contains twelve subfamilies and twenty six genera.

Why does Pygidicranidae matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pygidicranidae?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pygidicranidae.