dark-flanked globular springtail - Ptenothrix unicolor

Moved

… Jim McClarin, 7 April, 2008 - 5:02am

Moved

… john and jane balaban, 24 December, 2007 - 10:50am

Ptenothrix unicolor

This is an interesting specimen. It is clearly a dicyrtomid. Given the stout setae on the 2nd antennal segment and the apparent subsegmentation of the 3rd antennal segment it belongs to Ptenothrix.
Given the uniform reddish/brownish colour it matches then with Ptenothrix unicolor. But Ptenothix unicolor has been synonymized with Ptenothrix atra... However, this has been chalenged recently. It could also be considered as a colour variant of atra.

There is a possible second alternative. Do you have a lateral aspect shot, in which we could check whether or not there is a pattern of light spots in the dark lateral region.
If yes, it could be Dicyrtomina variabilis. Currently synonymized with the European Dicyrtomina minuta. But this is debatable since D. variabilis in the description has a black middorsal posterior spot but in the drawings it lacks this typical spot...
Especially the black & white drawing Fig.647 of Mayanard (1951) seems to match your specimens. Also the spot inbetween the eyes, described by Maynard as 'heart-shaped' seems to be present in your specimen.

To conclude: you opened another can of worms... ;-)

… Frans Janssens, 25 October, 2007 - 7:04am

The specimen is in alcohol.

I will take it out and get a lateral aspect shot to post here this weekend. Then I think I'll go fishing with some of those worms ;-)

… Jim McClarin, 25 October, 2007 - 8:53pm

I recall having fished out the specimen

and taken another few photos, but it was too disfigured and discolored to render recognizable detail. Sorry to be so late in responding.

… Jim McClarin, 6 April, 2008 - 12:29pm

In that case

let us keep it with its best match, Ptenothrix unicolor.

… Frans Janssens, 7 April, 2008 - 3:12am

Done

… Jim McClarin, 7 April, 2008 - 5:04am