Campodea

/kæmˈpoʊdiə/ noun

Definition

A genus of small, primitive insects belonging to the order Diplura that live in soil and leaf litter.

Etymology

From New Latin, combining Greek 'kampe' (caterpillar, or worm-like) and 'odea' (teeth or appendages). Named for the distinctive appendages at the insect's rear end.

Kelly Says

Campodea are living fossils—they look almost identical to insects from 300 million years ago, making them time capsules that show us what the earliest insects were like!

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