Bug FAQWestern Sea Bristletail
Petrobius brevistylis · Order: Archaeognatha · Family: Machilidae
Also called: Jumping bristletail
It lives just above the high-tide line on rocky coasts, preferring shaded, moist cracks where algae and lichens grow. It is native to the rocky shores of Europe and northern Asia, especially the British Isles, Scandinavia and Iceland. At night it feeds on algae, lichens and detritus, and adults can live up to three years.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Prefers shaded, moist spots where algae and lichens are present.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Nocturnal feeder that eats algae, lichens and detritus.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Reproduces in rock crevices; juveniles develop gradually.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maine, Arkansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States; native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
More photos
Questions people ask
Where does the Western Sea Bristletail live?
It lives just above the high-tide line on rocky coasts, in cracks of rocks, breakwaters and harbor walls, preferring shaded, moist areas with algae and lichens.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Machilidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrobius_brevistylis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.