Mum, Dad, Myself and the dogs went for our normal Sunday morning walk in our local Woods, we couldn't believe the amount of globular Springtails (Dicyrtomina saundersi) which covered a wooden bench, they were grazing on the algae, I've never seen so many in one small area, as seen in the last picture

Globular springtail on a clay pot

Springtails on a clay pot X4. Sminthurinus domesticus and Xenylla sp.

Globular springtail on water barrel lid

I've been attempting to photograph the various instars of this globular springtail species for Frans Janssens (FransJanssens@www.collembola.org) from collembola.org. He requested that I also include a scale bar (particulary for the juvenile instars), so I had a play with PSE this morning to attempt a method of doing this.

For springtails, I'm currently using a standard set-up; MP-E Macro lens set (at 5x magnification) + 1.4x tele-extender + a 25mm extension tube. I used this same arrangement to photograph a ruler marked in millimetres and overlaid the image with the white scale. I then merged that with a transparent layer and saved it. I can now use this transparent overlay to position the scale. I'm not sure whether there's a simpler method of doing this, but it seems to work!

This is a mature male of the species. You can see that it's ~1.1 mm long. I'll probably improve this by making a 2 mm scale as well, sub-divided into tenths!

Springtail Sminthurinus sp on an upturned clay pot. Down the hole in the middle

Globular springtail on a windowsill. Focus stacked using zerene. See www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/30833734484/ for a 3D version

Not only are my parents (www.flickr.com/photos/68769579@N07/ and www.flickr.com/photos/75728961@N06/) THE BEST parents I could ever wish for (giving me the most stable, supportive and balanced upbringing, but also always there for me now), but they are also so generous and thoughtful---this superb MP-E 65mm lens was their surprise gift to me today! I'm so lucky :D

Any hints/tips on using my new lens gratefully received. I'd be particularly grateful for any tips on flash, as I have only the on-camera flash (although I do also have a very old, probably 20+ years old, off-camera flash, kicking about somewhere---no idea if it's compatible with my camera).

Oh.. and Happy New Year to everyone :D

Springtails on fence rail

Belted Springtail, Collembola, Orchesella cincta.

Adult female.

Springtails are small, wingless relatives of insects and typically have six abdominal segments, a tubular appendage projecting ventrally from the first abdominal segment, and a forked, tail-like appendage, the furcula, folded under the last abdominal segment, with which the animal can flip itself into the air. There are no larval or pupae stages, the newly hatched springtails resemble the adults and they moult several times during their life cycle.

Springtails are one of the largest groups of insect-like organisms found in the soil. A close relative of silverfish, these arthropods include over 9000 separate species world-wide. They are no longer considered insects but remain arthropods for classification purposes.

Orchesella cincta is a species of Springtail present in Europe and North America. They average 4 millimetres in length, which is extremely large as most springtails don’t grow past 1 millimetre. The specific name cincta means "belted" and refers to the distinctive colouration of the third abdominal segment.

Orchesella cincta is one of the most common species in the British Isles where it is known from multiple locations in Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland. It lives in soil and among leaf litter in woodland.

Members of the genus Orchesella have six antennal segments. Orchesella cincta has a distinctively pigmented third abdominal segment and a dark third antennal segment. In contrast, the posterior part of the second abdominal segment and the distal part of the second antennal segments are white. The fifth and sixth antennal segments are brown, but otherwise the colouring of antennae and abdomen are variable, ranging from reddish-brown through various shades of brown to blackish. The body is thickly clad with hairs.

There is a tendency for the antennae to be of unequal length, perhaps because of damage to the antennae during the developmental stages.

Springtails on a clay pot. Sminthurinus sp. Around 1mm body length

Springtail X10. Focus stacked using zerene. trying a 10X objective lens- very difficult to use

I took a photo of the globular springtail on the right hand side of the photo but later I noticed a smaller one on the left! Taken in Durham Botanic Gardens, UK.

Globular springtail- slightly different shooting angle to this one www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/2201425006/

Collembola, showing its eversible vesicle cleaning tubes, these multi-function extrudable 'appendages', are used for cleaning the body surface with hemolymph fluid, (which is like the invert equivalent to blood plasma), and the absorption of water and ion transport for osmoregulation, adhering to surfaces, and potentially for releasing pheromones and aiding in mating displays...

Wish I got better some shots of this little fella.

Globular springtail on a fence X4. Focus stacked using zerene

Springtails on water surface

I've spread some dead twigs around on mossy areas at my local churchyard. I check these most days looking for springtails. The most common at the moment are these globular springtails; Sminthurinus aureus.

Because most springtails are sensitive to desiccation, they seek out damp and sheltered places. Because their cuticle is also hydrophobic, they often accumulate large numbers of water droplets. Nicely demonstrated here.

Canon 5D3 + MP-E 65mm (at 5x) + 1.4x Extender + 36mm extension tube + MT24-EX Flash. This individual ~0.6mm.

Another behaviour shot of the aquatic springtail Sminthurides aquaticus. This female (about 1mm long) is on a piece of bark that is floating on the surface of our garden pond.

These springtails produce a globule of fluid and then roll it around their body with their legs, to clean themselves. Fascinating to watch, but difficult to photograph. This individual was only about 1mm long. A composite of two images, blended in Photoshop.

Springtail on the greenhouse roof. Focus stacked using zerene

Raft of springtails on a small puddle on a compost bin lid

On a concrete pot covered with moss.

Springtail

Globular springtail. Dicyrtomina saundersi

I'm still struggling to spot these guys they are so small, how some of you see the darker/smaller species I dont know.

Even my 70p 2x wilko magnifiying glass was no use !!!!

Springtail on a clay pot X4. Lepidocyrtus sp.

Springtails on the compost bin rim X2

Springtail playing hide and seek. Focus stacked using zerene

Springtail X4 . Sminthurinus domesticus on a clay pot

Back out hunting for bugs and came across this little chap.

Using the MP-E65 with a1.4x extender and a 25mm extension tube, also the MT24-EX flash fitted with my own custom diffusers.

This is the smallest springtail I´ve seen. Must be 1mm or less. It was on a thin blade of grass. Very noisy as I had to crop a lot.

I've got aquatic springtails (Sminthurides) breeding in our garden wildlife pond. I've been taking lots of photographs over the last couple of days to try to get shots of the front feet. Why; because I might have an interesting species!

A recent shot that I posted was commented upon by FransJanssens@www.collembola.org. I had called it Sminthurides aquaticus but Frans said that the structure of the front foot was not correct for that species (in technical terms; the empodium was longer than the claw and it should be shorter). He suggested that it MIGHT be a form of Sminthurides penicillifer that is a Sminthurides aquaticus look-alike. This has not been reported in the UK before.

My attempts at front-foot shots amounted to nothing today, but I did like this one so thought I'd post it. Foot photography will continue tomorrow!

Britain's biggest springtail, this species can reach 6mm long (excluding antennae). This one was 5mm or so.

Eardington Nature Resreve.

Springtail Entomobrya intermedia on water barrel lid

In the garden early today to check for springtails for the survey. I have a number of terracotta pot fragments arranged in the area frequented by these. They were all frozen to the surfaces and as I prised them off one by one, I wasn't expecting to find anthing. Luckily, one pot fragment has this underneath it. As it was so cold, the springtail wasn't too keen to move. That allowed me to orientate the fragment and get a range of shots. Frans is speculating that there may be two distinct groups; Group 1 where abd.6 in adults is pale, and Group 2 where abd.6 in adults is dark. This is a mature (1.3 mm) Group 2 individual and as the sub-anal appendage is visible, it's a female.

[Part of a garden survey of the "novel" springtail Katiannidae Genus nov.1 sp. nov. that I'm doing for FransJanssens@www.collembola.org to establish the size and differences between the various instars.

Canon MP-E65mm Macro (at 5x) + 1.4x tele-extender + 25mm extension tube + diffused MT24-EX Twinlite flash. Cropped.]

Globular springtail on bamboo leaf

Springtail on a clay pot X4. Sminthurinus lawrencei

Springtails on a leaf edge X4

Globular springtail . Focus stacked using zerene

Globular springtail. Focus stacked using zerene

Dewy globular springtail

Springtail on a water barrel lid X4. Lepidocyrtus sp.

Springtails scaling the north side of a slug. Focus stacked using zerene