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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Springtails and allies (Collembola) » Elongate-bodied Springtails (Entomobryomorpha) » Entomobryoidea » Paronellidae » Cyphoderus » Cyphoderus similis
Photo#144145
blind myrmecophile - Cyphoderus similis
Copyright © 2007 Jim McClarin

blind myrmecophile - Cyphoderus similis
Meredith, Belknap County, New Hampshire, USA
September 3, 2007
I found a half-dozen ore so of these blind, white springtails in active ant pathways or chambers beneath bark on a moist log well into the decay process. I grabbed a few of their ant associates too in attempt to establish a species association. I did not notice an irridescense on these little guys but may not have gotten the lighting quite right. If the family were not monospecific in North America I would suspect a different species. All specimens were preserved.

Images of this individual: tag all
blind myrmecophile - Cyphoderus similis white, blind myrmecophile associate - Lasius blind myrmecophile - Cyphoderus similis white, blind myrmecophile associate - Lasius blind myrmecophile - Cyphoderus similis white, blind myrmecophile associate - Lasius white, blind myrmecophile associate - Lasius white, blind myrmecophile associate - Lasius white, blind myrmecophile associate - Lasius
Contributed by Jim McClarin on 9 September, 2007 - 7:18am
Last updated 23 December, 2010 - 8:02am

Moved
Moved from Lasius.
… Charley Eiseman, 9 December, 2010 - 11:29am

Moved
Moved from Cyphoderus similis.
… James C. Trager, 9 December, 2010 - 11:26am

Cyphoderus similis
Great catch, Jim!
The picture illustrates well 2 morphological characteristics of Cyphoderus:
1. the broad 'shoulders'; note that the head is distinctly less broad than the thorax
2. the 'pearly-beads'-like antennae; note that each antennal segment is more narrow at its basal and apical margins than in the middle of the segment

It would be nice if somebody would ID the ant. In Europe, the close relative, Cyphoderus albinus, is found to be not ant specific. It is found in nests of many different ant species. It even adapts to newly introduced ant species.
… Frans Janssens, 10 September, 2007 - 4:35am

 
Thanks, Frans.
I included lots of angles on the ants in hopes someone could ID them.
… Jim McClarin, 10 September, 2007 - 5:55am

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