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Springtail Entomobrya intermedia on water barrel lid. Focus stacked using zerene

Not much around today, but did see this large (almost 1.4 mm) individual. 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 Group 1 individual. This is the largest that I see them; so could be final instar?

[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.]

Springtail on a clay pot X4 . You can see the iridescent scales on this

Here's another of the dark-form Sminthurinus springtails that I've been seeing at the local village churchyard. This individual has a dark body, slightly paler and mottled head and solid yellow legs and antennae. This is likely to be one of the dark forms of Sminthurinus aureus.

Occasionally, things work out well in a photograph and here, the yellow and red colours of the laurel leaf certainly add something. I usually look on the underside of fallen laurel leaves for springtails. The smoothness of the leaves creates a nice backdrop for springtail photography.

Canon 5D3 + MP-E 65mm (at x5) + 2x Tele-extender + MT24-EX Twinlite flash. Cropped a bit. This individual about 0.6mm.

Globular springtail X4. Focus stacked using zerene. Taken handheld using a 4X microscope lens on a sony mirrorless body

Small globular springtail on a clay flower pot. Has a nice covering of dewdrops. Sminthurinus niger

Springtail on a fence rail. Focus stacked using zerene. Dicyrtomina saundersi

Globular springtail on fence rail

Springtail on a water barrel

Springtail X4 . Sminthurinus domesticus on a clay pot

Globular springtail on the greenhouse glass- natural light. Focus stacked using zerene. Oshiro 60mm

Hunting for springtails in Opitter(Belgium) in the garden of Frans Janssens

Another Collembola, pretty iridescent colour at about 2mm

Springtail meeting on a clay pot X4. Sminthurinus domesticus and Lepidocyrtus sp.

Who can resist a blue springtail with pink babies? Except that babies are something else - see Frans's note. So much to learn...

The adults are c. 2mm long; the young passengers are c.0.4mm. I'm slightly intrigued, because one of the youngsters on the left-hand adult looks like its been impaled on a seta (hair), but I assume its just an illusion?

Thanks Frans!

Telford Town Park, under bark.

Springtails on a clay pot. Sminthurinus domesticus

Springtails. Smithurinus domesticus

Taken in Battle Ground, Clark Co., WA, USA

Thanks to Frans Janssens for ID.

Isotoma anglicana perhaps

a few more of these Springtails on wooden fencing, about 1.5-2mm

Springtails on flower pot X4. Sminthurinus domesticus

He was hiding in a tiny mushroom (Hirneola auricula-judae)

Sminthurus hispanicus

Another new globular Springtail for me. I'm currently enjoying a warmer Christmas holiday than I would ordinarily find in the UK, and whilst exploring I found a couple of these characters for my collection.

I was hoping for a more natural variety of shots, but these were hidden in long(ish) grass and I couldn't track any through the undergrowth so had to settle for these two that had landed on my khaki backpack and neoprene lens case.

Single image @ 5-6X magnification

As the weather was far from ideal we elected to head to Swell Woods for the smaller things.

We found lots of springtails and slime moulds when kept us out of trouble for a few hours!

www.maxthompsonphoto.co.uk

Globular springtail on water barrel. Natural light. Focus stacked using zerene. Oshiro 60mm

This springtail has exuded a droplet of cleaning fluid, with which it is cleaning its antenna.

Springtail on the edge of a dew covered windowsill. Focus stacked using zerene

Globular springtail on a clay pot. Sminthurinus domesticus

Springtails on a compost bin

Springtail on blackberry leaf

Springtails on a clay pot X4. Sminthurinus domesticus

The last image I posted featured a male of the Katiannid springtail currently referred to as Katiannidae Genus nov.1 sp. nov.. The males are characterized by red pigment on the dorsal surface. I went looking for more individuals in the garden this morning and found these two. These are mature females; both lacking the red pigmentation. The only orangey/red areas are those at the base of the various trichobothria and a few small areas on the head. The trichobothria (or is it bothriotricha?) are sensory organs.

Canon MP-E65mm Macro (at 5x) + 1.4x tele-extender + 25mm extension tube + diffused MT24-EX Twinlite flash. Cropped. Both these individuals a little over 1mm.

springtails

Globular springtails on the side of the pond. Sminthurides aquaticus

Dicyrtomina saundersi - Thanks to Frans Janssens for the ID.

This is the second video from yesterdays shoot that I did, although the establishing shots are from Helen's Nikon P300. We've been out again today and I can promise you that Helen has some amazing footage on the way!

Who says that bugs are dirty :-). This Globular Springtail takes personal grooming very seriously and even has a built in vacuum cleaner nozzle to deal with those extra stubborn stains.

From reading the words of those far more knowledgable than us, we've deduced that the amazing nozzle that appears 2 thirds of the way through the video is it's ventral tube.

According to Steve Hopkins (Reading University) paper on Collembola

"All Collembola have a ventral tube that consists of eversible sacs derived from a pair of appendages on the first abdominal segment. This organ is extremely important in fluid balance but can also function as a sticky appendage to enable springtails to adhere to slippery surfaces. In some species, the vesicles of the ventral tube may extend more than twice the length of the body and be used for self-righting after a jump. Lubbock introduced the scientific name for springtails in 1873 (2). He rightly considered the ventral tube to be the most characteristic feature of the group and gave them the name Collembola based on the Greek Colle (= glue) and embolon (= piston).

Incredible stuff.

The Music is courtesy of Tony Haven www.tonyhaven.com/

Springtail family outing. Springtails grazing on the shaded lip of a clay pot. Focus stacked using zerene

Stack of 6 photos. Canon mp-e 65 with twin flash

Tiny springtails and mites on the underside of a compost bin lid

Floating in one of my ornamental tubs. Hopefully Frans will confirm the ids. The D. ornata look huge by comparison. Have never seen Sminthurinus niger species before, these are really tiny. I did manage to rescue all of them and most were still alive.

springtail (probably Hemisotoma thermophila), size 1-2 mm;

ID by F. Janssens

Springtails on a clay pot. Sminthurinus domesticus. About 0.6mm body length.

Springtails on a clay pot X4. Sminthurinus domesticus