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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Springtails and allies (Collembola) » Elongate-bodied Springtails (Entomobryomorpha) » Tomoceridae » Tomocerus » Tomocerus minor
Photo#1626144
Entomobryomorpha - Tomocerus minor
Copyright © 2019 Robert R Pearson

Entomobryomorpha - Tomocerus minor
Packwood, Lewis County, Washington, USA
January 8, 2019
Size: 2-3 mm
I still don't know the features that distinguish some of the shiny-scaled species. This one changed color depending on the lighting and angle of view. On a lit cloth at night adjacent to a mixed conifer/deciduous woodlot.

Images of this individual: tag all
Entomobryomorpha - Tomocerus minor Entomobryomorpha - Tomocerus minor Entomobryomorpha - Tomocerus minor
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Contributed by OwlBob on 10 January, 2019 - 12:57pm
Last updated 30 June, 2019 - 3:13pm

Moved
Moved from Elongate-bodied Springtails.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 30 June, 2019 - 3:13pm login or register to post comments

Tomocerus minor
The colour of scaled Collembola is caused by iridisation effects in the thin translucent scales that cover the body. The colour we see is not caused by pigmentation. When the scales are removed, the true intrinsic body colour becomes visible : usually yellowish or brownish.
Due to the iridisation, the metallic colours change continuously depending on your angle of view or/and the angle of light source.
Not only in Tomoceridae, iridisation colours are present : also in Lepidocyrtinae, Cyphoderidae, Willowsiinae, Seiridae, Heteromurinae and some Paronellinae.
… Frans Janssens, 11 January, 2019 - 12:03pm login or register to post comments

 
taxonomy
The taxonomy is confusing and from other comments you have had it seems that some taxonomic classification is still in question. Genus heteromurus is under subfamily Orchesellinae in Bug Guide but under Heteromurinae at collembola-org. Does this reflect a placement that is not settled?
… OwlBob, 11 January, 2019 - 3:37pm login or register to post comments

 
It simply means...
that Bugguide did not follow www.collembola.org ;-)
… Frans Janssens, 12 January, 2019 - 9:24am login or register to post comments

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