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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » [obsolete rank] - elevate included Orders to Class (Entognatha) » Springtails and allies (Collembola) » Elongate-bodied Springtails (Arthropleona) » Entomobryidae » Willowsia » Willowsia buski
Photo#89022
dark body, pale head - Willowsia buski
Copyright © 2006 Jim McClarin

dark body, pale head - Willowsia buski
Nashua, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA
November 27, 2006
Size: 1.6 - 1.8 mm
Found two of these in a tarp-covered stack of rotting cordwood. I either failed to shoot them alongside a rule or else did not save the image if I did. However, I have determined they are in the above size range using pixel counts and a calculator :-)

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dark body, pale head - Willowsia buski dark body, pale head - Willowsia buski dark body, pale head - Willowsia buski
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Contributed by Jim McClarin on 29 November, 2006 - 8:22pm
Last updated 1 December, 2006 - 8:49pm

Moved
Moved from Entomobryidae.
… Jim McClarin, 1 December, 2006 - 8:49pm login or register to post comments

Willowsia buski
Hi Jim. The dark body should be looking distinctly purplish in their natural habitus. The too much blue effect is caused by your plastic light arena, I guess. Willowsia's body is covered with thin translucent scales, producing the purplish shine on its body.
Willowsia is one of those critters that can be found inhouse occasionally..., such as in the bathroom or kitchen. ;-)
… Frans Janssens, 30 November, 2006 - 10:51am login or register to post comments

 
All I saw was a dark color
when I saw these unmagnified in natural light. They could have been purple. It's true that my artificial light produces nowhere near the irridescence that sunlight would but I iterate, my adapted lens causes more color distortion than the background. I suppose I should shoot the same subject on various colored backgrounds to demonstrate my point. (Maybe I'm wrong :-)
… Jim McClarin, 1 December, 2006 - 8:36pm login or register to post comments

 
Maybe you could try to use a green background?
Hi Jim, since your arena has a transparent floor you might want to try placing it on a greenish background. In microscopy of entomological preparations a green filter is often used to enhance the contrast of the B/W photograph. Possibly the green background enhances the contrast in colour images as well...
… Frans Janssens, 2 December, 2006 - 4:47am login or register to post comments

 
I'll do as you suggest
although I've used green in the past (red, maroon, olive green, brown, black, and gray as well) and wasn't pleased with the results.
… Jim McClarin, 2 December, 2006 - 5:07pm login or register to post comments

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