Neanura muscorum a Springtail with No Springer

e6filmuser

This species is common under the bark of fallen twigs, or in crevices in rotting wood, which is where I found this. It is up to 3.5mm long and bluish to greyish. It probably feeds on fungi. It is in the Family Neanuridae, which have piercing mouthparts instead of the grinding ones of other families.

These images were taken as part of the process of recording it, for the first time, at a local nature reserve and to enable further finds to be identified. It never stopped walking, such that the images could be better.

Olympus EM-1 (manual mode), Laowa 25mm f2.8 2.5x-5x ultra-macro at x2.5 and f11, twin TTL flash hand-held.

Harold

Lord Vetinari

Nice find and shots Harold.

Brian V.

e6filmuser

@Lord Vetinari said:
Nice find and shots Harold.

Brian V.

Thanks, Brian.

I have a permit to collect, for identification purposes, fungi, slime moulds and Collembola from three local nature reserves.

Although I expect to find them, and know where to find them, in about three years I have seen very few, whereas I can readily find several species in my garden at any season. I suppose it might be because there is a great deal of suitable habitat over a much wider area in the woods.

On 3 January, these were on a piece of cracked rotting wood I was pulling apart to access a (so far unidentified) slime mould new to me and to the locality.

Harold