Yellow Springtail - Pogonognathellus elongatus

Moved

… Ken Wolgemuth, 9 February, 2014 - 2:18pm

Pogonognathellus elongatus

Given the antennae are longer than the body.
Quite right, Ken!
The specimen is severily damaged. It is completely descaled, therefore revealing the intrinsic yellowish body colour. Scaled it should look silvergray metallic. The specimen will dehydrate due to the lacking of the scale cover. To survive it will have to moult soon, producing as such new scales. The backwards extending furca shows it is exhausted, however...

… Frans Janssens, 9 February, 2014 - 2:03pm

Pogonognathellus elongatus

I find several this color in all different sizes. I wonder how they are getting damaged?
When I caught this one with one just a little larger, they were placed in a small round plastic container. I don't pick them up I catch them by placing the container over them an let them crawl up the sides or slipping a leaf under it and let them crawl upon the leaf.

… Lisa I., 9 February, 2014 - 9:52pm

The scales ...

easily disconnect from the body surface. In other words they are rubbed off easily. It is part of their escape strategy. When a predator grabs a specimen, it will escape and the predator will just have catched some scales. Possibly there is a lot of material in the habitat in which the specimens loose the scales by rubbing against it.

… Frans Janssens, 10 February, 2014 - 10:46am

Thanks

For the information. I suppose they are rubbing all the leaf litter.

… Lisa I., 10 February, 2014 - 10:59am

Tomoceridae, I suspect

Frans will be able to say for sure. :)

… Ken Wolgemuth, 8 February, 2014 - 9:53pm

springtail

Thanks.

… Lisa I., 8 February, 2014 - 9:54pm