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Photo#507419
Springtail - Hypogastrura

Springtail - Hypogastrura
Ballston Lake, Saratoga County, New York, USA
April 20, 2011
Size: 2 mm
I went back to the dead Butternut tree where I photographed one a few days ago, and collected a few to photograph using Helicon Focus. There were several clustered together under the loose bark. Another Hypogastrura I presume. ID verification appreciated.

Images of this individual: tag all
Springtail - Hypogastrura Springtail - Hypogastrura Springtail - Hypogastrura

Moved

Hypogastrura sp.
Indeed. The pictures illustrate some diagnostic characters of Hypogastrura:
1. poor dorsal setal coverage (few setae per segment)
2. short furca
3. small anal spines
4. 8 ocelli in each eyepatch

 
Thanks, Frans.
Now to find out what a furca is ... :^)

 
The furca
is the ventral fork of Collembola with which they jump.
Go to collembola.org
At the paragraph External anatomy and morphology check out Fig.2.
Move your cursor over the word 'furca' in the text to see the furca getting marked red on Fig.2
Enjoy!

You can see the furca on this specimen in the picture where the specimen is turned on its back. In that picture the furca is held close to the ventrum by the retinaculum, a device to lock the springloaded furca against the ventrum. To fire off the furca, the retinaculum only has to release the furca. The retinaculum is not visible on the picture...

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