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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Springtails and allies (Collembola) » Globular Springtails (Symphypleona) » Sminthurididae
Photo#43747
Tiny white globular springtail - male
Copyright © 2006 Jim McClarin

Tiny white globular springtail - Male
Hudson, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA
Size: under 0.25 mm
Found (and photographed) today, Feb. 26, 2006, in rotting fungi kept indoors since Jan. 13, 2006 when I collected it in Hudson, NH. I thought this could be a different species from, or else a very young one of this species found in the same batch of fungi:

Either way, I assumed it was immature. Not so! According to Frans (see below comment and link) this is a typically diminutive male of a separate spiecies in a different family. This underscores once again the old caution agaist assuming :-)

Images of this individual: tag all
Tiny white globular springtail - male Tiny white globular springtail - male Tiny white globular springtail - male
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Contributed by Jim McClarin on 26 February, 2006 - 8:08pm
Last updated 2 August, 2006 - 5:24pm

Sminthurididae
Hi Jim, as explained in the other image of the same specimen, the white specimen is a male Sminthurides or Sphaeridia. The dark specimen with the 4 white spots on its body in the other image is another species, even another family, Katiannidae. It is most probably Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus.
… Frans Janssens, 2 August, 2006 - 7:28am login or register to post comments

 
Hi Frans,
I re-edited my remarks in such a way as not to mislead others while still preserving the record of my folly :-)
… Jim McClarin, 2 August, 2006 - 5:20pm login or register to post comments

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