California- unknown microscopic insect

Moved

… Charley Eiseman, 30 June, 2014 - 7:53pm

Entomobryomorpha

Where is the fossil sample from?

… Frans Janssens, 11 May, 2014 - 12:22pm

Entomobrya kirkbayae

Yes, indeed. The fossil springtail species from the locality Eero59 mentions was named Entomobrya kirkbayae in 1960. It's from a locality situated on California's Mojave Desert. A Web page dedicated to the occurrence (in addition to a related fossil mammal deposit from the same geologic rock formation that yielded the springtail, plus insects, crustaceans, and arachnids) is over at:
http://inyo.coffeecup.com/site/barstowfossils/barstowfossils.html .

The individual who described the fossil species remarked that it belonged to the group of living springtails that includes E. marginata Tullberg (1871) and E. atrocincta Schott 1897--the latter "recorded as a present-day inhabitant of stagnant water pools in California."

… Inyo, 11 May, 2014 - 5:10pm

Thanks for sharing the paper

Note the paper is about Entomobrya kirkbyae (not kirkbayae). IMHO it is not the same species as that of Eero59. Also note that Christiansen & Bellinger (1981) suggested that this kirkbyae species might belong in Salina iso Entomobrya. Best is to sent the specimen to an expert in northern American Entomobryomorpha, such as Dr Felipe Soto-Adames.

… Frans Janssens, 13 May, 2014 - 12:51pm

Great!

Thanks, Inyo. I would be happy to receive a copy of that paper. Feel free to send it to frans.janssens@collembola.org
Thanks in advance.

… Frans Janssens, 12 May, 2014 - 1:01pm

Regarding: California-unkown microscopic insect

One species of fossil springtail has been described in the scientific literature from the famous fossil site to which Eero59 alludes. The figured specimen in the original reference is 1.0mm, so the size is in the proverbial ball park range. I invite Eero59 to contact me, so that I might pass along a pdf file of the original paper, complete with scientific description and a photograph of the roughly 17 million year-old springtail specimen. He might remember me from another forum that pertains specifically to matters paleontological.

… Inyo, 10 May, 2014 - 7:01pm

Moved for expert attention.

Moved from ID Request.

Hexapod, but not an insect. This is a springtail of some kind. Frans, our springtail expert, will be able to tell you more.

Welcome to BugGuide!

… Ken Wolgemuth, 10 May, 2014 - 4:49pm

Thank you very much!

… Eero59, 10 May, 2014 - 4:53pm