Protura

[Ukwildlifeo]

Found these chaps in some leaf litter in my garden. I suspect they a Protura (or one of the other non-insect hexapods)





If anyone has any idea on family/genus (and dare I say it species) I'll be impressed!

[Jason Green]

Morning UKW,

It's a Springtail. Try Kalaphorura burmeisteri - Kalaphorura burmeisteri photo - Toby photos at pbase.com - based on general proportions and white markings on a creamy-white body. Antennae look similar too. I believe they are blind and soil-dwelling. How did you locate it? Good shot by the way

Take care,

Jason

[Ukwildlifeo]

Wow didnt think it was one of those. There wasnt any springing around when I tried to photograph them!

As to how I found them - erm it was either in some leaves on a storage shed or (I think this is where) under some stones when I was looking for some 2 tailed bristletails/diplurans. Was a few weeks ago. I'll have to go looking again

[Jason Green]

That's the funny thing with these. Not only are their jumping mechanisms apparently better hidden than the more commmonly-seen springies such as Dicyrtomina saundersi, but being as though they're under things most of the time I wouldn't have thought they'd need or even have the space to keep launch ing themselves!

I must look for these too. I haven't found a new species for some time, my total Collembola count stands at 9. Yours?

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

That's the funny thing with these. Not only are their jumping mechanisms apparently better hidden than the more commmonly-seen springies such as Dicyrtomina saundersi, but being as though they're under things most of the time I wouldn't have thought they'd need or even have the space to keep launch ing themselves!

I must look for these too. I haven't found a new species for some time, my total Collembola count stands at 9. Yours?

oh a rough guess being about 4

- water springtail (the small balck surface floating one) something aquatica I think)
- a biggish black species
- a browny globular species
- a shiny silver species

hmmm springtail IDs are not a strong point looking at that list! I must make a note to remember to post photos of those I've found for you and others to ID and remember those you all have IDed for me already me already!

[JRsbugs]

There's another which it could be, Anurida granaria. You need to see the finer details such as the spine under the foot.

Anurida granaria in UK and Ireland

Collembola Images

Kalaphorura burmeisteri in UK and Ireland

Janet

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

oh a rough guess being about 4

- water springtail (the small balck surface floating one) something aquatica I think)
- a biggish black species
- a browny globular species
- a shiny silver species

Let's see... maybe Podura aquatica for the water-one. The big black job could be a Tomoceras sp. or Orchesella cincta, though it has a creamy band from left-right about a third of the way up from the back-end. Not too sure about the brown Globular one, and I suppose your last sounds like Lepidocyrtus cyaneus?

Photos will help confirm these

[Acutipuerilis]

As far as I'm aware, the reason these ones can hide threir spring so well is that they ain't got one.

Pretty sure this is K. burmeisteri - everything fits.

[Jason Green]

Ah, that would make sense given the list of reasons for why I was surprised that they'd need to! Thanks for that then. I suppose I fell into the pifall-trap of thinking that just because most of the inverts in that Order are called Springtails, they all have sprung t... well no I mean furca, obviously... when in fact it contains species that are so plentiful in the soil that they qualify as being about the most numerous per sq. meter - then I suppose they don't all need the ability to jump, living underground like that.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Looking as the distribution map for Kalaphorura burmeisteri there doesn't appear to be a dot on the map near me (not in NE London/SW Essex) do you think its worth sending a record off, and if so who to?