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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Springtails and allies (Collembola) » Poduromorpha » Hypogastruridae » Ceratophysella
Photo#1111923
Unknown Springtails - Ceratophysella
Copyright © 2015 Harvey Schmidt

Unknown Springtails - Ceratophysella
Creighton, Northern, Saskatchewan, Canada
July 29, 2015
I have a couple of pails I use for the garden and when it is supposed to rain I turn them upside down. There is a very small lip on the bottom that catches a couple of mls of water and in the water I usually see a small flotilla of these guys. Where do they come from and what kind are they?
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Contributed by Harvey Schmidt on 29 July, 2015 - 9:02pm
Last updated 30 July, 2015 - 3:56pm

Moved
Moved from Springtails and allies.
… Harvey Schmidt, 30 July, 2015 - 3:56pm login or register to post comments

Ceratophysella sp.
These Collembola specimens are trapped on the watersurface. Due to meniscus effects on the edges of the watersurfacefilm the specimens cannot escape from it once they did jump (by accident) onto the water surface.
… Frans Janssens, 30 July, 2015 - 3:47pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks Frans!
So do they live in that skim of water until it evaporates and then crawl/jump away?
… Harvey Schmidt, 30 July, 2015 - 3:59pm login or register to post comments

 
Indeed
They also may jump away from it: the ones that can climb up a raft of specimens can escape by jumping away from it. But often many will end up dead. The watersurfacetension will be lowered by decomposition of dead organic material (such as leaves). The specimens will not be able to float on the water anymore. Eventually they will drown... Their dead bodies will contribute to the decomposition process and speed up the deadly fate of the still remaining living specimens.
So these watersurfaces in gardens often are death traps for Collembola.
Putting a sponge or piece of tissue/cloth on top of your upturned buckets may help preventing problems for the Collembola.
… Frans Janssens, 30 July, 2015 - 4:36pm login or register to post comments

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