Overview
Considered to be the most primitive family of living Dermaptera; its members are not common.
Description
They are 10-35 mm in length, light to dark brown, winged and have long antennae. The
Pygidicraninae
(
Cranopygia
and
Dacnodes
) are slender and smooth, whereas
Echinosomatinae
(
Echinosoma
) are stout and covered with short bristles.
Distribution
The most recent treatment of this group is that of Steinmann (1986). Brindle (1987) described
Austroblandex
bituberculatus
(
Blandicinae
) from Vic. The other 3 blandicine genera are from South Africa and Madagascar. With
Dacnodes
and
Echinosoma
both represented in Australia and South Africa,
Austroblandex
further indicates the Gondwanan affinities of the family.