In name of Professor Antonio Carapelli and PhD student Rebecca Funari from the Evolutionary and Systematic Zoology Laboratory, at the University of Siena in Italy.
We are working on a project focused on the springtail Hydroisotoma schaefferi. For this purpose, we are looking for populations and specimens of this species from various sites around Europe and Northern America (and possibly from different places around the world!).
If you know the species, it could be very useful if you could inform us about the areas where this species is present, and in case you have any specimens, to send them to us.
Here are our institutional contacts, if you would like to get in touch with us:
antonio.carapelli@unisi.it
rebecca.funari@student.unisi.it
Some information about the species:
Hydroisotoma schaefferi is typically found in debris, under logs, at the edges of streams as well as in mosses surrounding ponds from moist areas, and it is well adapted to cope with cold temperatures, also in the presence of snow or ice covering earth along wet areas. H. schaefferi hatches in October, growing quickly and actively in the winter period and finally laying eggs in spring. Adult specimens die off in June and survive the summer as eggs. Generally, individuals can be collected at low altitudes during winter, while during spring or summer times they could be found in thereabouts of cold streams or moistures in mountainous areas.
The body length is 2 mm on average; brown/green background pigmentation over most of the body, with violet/dark brown rectangular bands on the central-lateral part of the body. Legs and antennae are pigmented, while the furca appears clear. The head has pigment concentrated in the ocular patch, in the central part, and in the clypeus (anterior part of the head).

Spread the word ;-)

Moved from Springtails and allies.

Indeed, Kim,

Moved from ID Request.