Springtail on a water barrel lid X4. Lepidocyrtus sp.

Springtails on the compost bin rim X2

Globular springtail on a clay pot. Focus stacked using zerene

A mixed bag of springtails trapped by ice in a bowl in my garden. It was evident that most were still alive due to the antifreeze properties they have.

One of the larger springtails (Collembola). Apparently, paintbrushes are the standard method of springtail-wrangling.

Thanks to Franz Janssens for ID correction.

This little beauty was taken by Eddie on my camera, I cannot believe how small this was, smaller that a pin head, I would never have spotted it in a milion years, but now I know what to look for..... taken at 5 x mag, with not a great flash set up, but once I get the flash set up I'm sure I'll get the hang of this lens, thanks again Eddie!

Springtails X4

Springtail on a fence rail. Focus stacked using zerene. Probably Isotomurus maculatus

2.5mm - 3.0mm lg.

Globular springtail on a water barrel. Focus stacked using zerene. See www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/31194740980/ for a 3D version

Springtail Sminthurinus niger on a clay flower pot

Quite a few of this species around today including some quite striking individuals. Here's a large (approaching 1.5 mm) red-backed female with white areas on the side of the abdomen. The clearly visible sub-anal appendage (SAA) confirms the gender.

[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. Three images blended in PSE. Cropped.]

Globular springtail on the greenhouse roof X4. Focus stacked using zerene

Springtails on compost bin rim. Focus stacked using zerene

Isotomurus, maybe I. palustris

Not good enough photo for ID? Very small, can't see anal spines but bad photo.

A juvenile saundersi or something else? Half as big as saundersi and different in color. Found in ground litter.

It is actually a juvenile instar of Dicyrtoma fusca var.1. Thank you Frans Janssens www.collembola.org

Springtails on flower pot X4. Sminthurinus domesticus

Springtails in the compost bin X4

Tomocerus minor, I think

Springtail on the piste. Ok it's actually a piece of melon skin. Focus stacked using zerene

Globular springtail X4. Focus stacked using zerene

Another tiny one

Bilobella braunerae (Collembola, Neanuridae). Found under bark of a fallen ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior). Thanks to Jan van Duinen and Frans Janssens @ www.collembola.org for the identification.

Canon EOS 5DII + MP-E65/2.8 handheld, f/8, 1/80sec., ISO 400. Lit with a single diffused flash.

Click for a bigger view!

This was a bonus find, we were just saying we had not seen Springtails for a long time, and there he was..... on a leaf!

A raft of springtails sailing around on some water on a compost bin lid

Springtails on a clay pot X4. Sminthurinus domesticus

Springtails on melon X4 in the compost bin. Focus stacked using zerene

A tiny thing, perhaps around 1.5mm long. One of a group on a damp wooden fence under trees, who scuttled for cover every time I fired my flash, then came back after a minute or so.

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

Springtails with dewdrops X4

A return visit to Swell Wood for more springtails. Numbers were definitely down on previous visits.

Springtail on a fence rail. Isotomurus palustris I think. About 2.5mm body length

4mm.

Another male Katiannid springtail in the garden this morning. These are particularly challenging to photograph as they won't keep still. It's like they're on a mission; they keep trundling this way and that and rarely stop for a photograph. This individual (~1 mm) had decided to have a rest though, and allowed a couple of shots that I've "blended" in PSE. He's on the inside-edge of a moulded letter "O" on the lid of an old garden water butt/bin.

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

I've seen a couple of these around (they are only a few mm long) and think they are Tomoceridae springtails, possibly something like Pogonognathellus longicornis. Taken in Durham Botanic Gardens, UK.

Springtail on a water barrel with dewdrops. Sminthurinus niger. About 0.97mm body length

I found a couple of these recently, in one particular corner of our Staffordshire garden. In the last few days I'm finding quite a few of them wandering around on an old water butt, a plastic storage box and some plastic seed trays stored in the same area. They seem to be ignoring the other surfaces.

It's very difficult to get decent images of them. They are very active and the structure of the surfaces means they keep disappearing into dips in the moulded surface. I did get this reasonable shot of a male. The males have this characteristic reddening of the dorsal surface.

This is the Katiannid springtail currently referred to as Katiannidae Genus nov.1 sp. nov.. This individual ~1.1mm.

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

The beautifully irridescent Vertagopu arboreus on the left and I think the one on the right is Entomobrya nivalis.

Globular springtail X4. Focus stacked using zerene

.... with what looks like a spider mite on its back.

Springtail, real size is 1.63 mm, magnifcation is 3.3

One of many springtails out and about on a very warm winter day.

Springtails on a leaf X4. in the compost bin. Ceratophysella sp.

Another shot from my first outing with the 90mm f3.5 Om System macro lens using an STF-8 flash

Isotomurus palustris

Globular springtail raft. I scooped these out off a water bucket with a milk bottle lid. After the photography I dropped them onto a sponge - they do eventually drown if they can't get off the water surface