Entomobrya corticalis

I spend a significant amount of time searching for springtails (Collembola) under the leaf litter and logs in the woods behind my house. Since these creatures are difficult to see and photograph, they provide a unique identification challenge which make them exciting creatures to study. Often times, the furthest that a springtail can be identified is to order or family. Some species, however, are quite unique and species-level identification is possible.

Without greater magnification, this springtail is only identifiable to family level (Neanuridae).

Over this past weekend, I took photos of what appeared to be at least 10 springtail species. However, only three were identifiable to species-level from my photos. The first two were Hypogastrura nivicola and Dicyrtoma fusca. The third individual that turned out to be identifiable was not as easy to identify. In order to determine the identity of these springtails, I searched through the guide pages at BugGuide. This great site is set up so that after searching for my "bug" in the guide, I can post a photo with a possible identification that an expert will confirm. For this springtail species, I had narrowed it down to family, but none of the species in the guide matched the springtail I had found, so I added the photo to BugGuide.

This morning, I received an email from Frans Janssens, a Collembola expert, who had identified my springtail as Entomobrya corticalis. The reason I was not able to find an identification is because my observation and photograph was a new record for the United States. This species usually inhabits forests of northern Europe and Asia.

Entomobrya corticalis 

Under Logs and Litter

For many people, the organisms that live below our feet are merely part of the "dirt", something that receives very little attention.  In fact, there are thousands of tiny creatures that live there, in a world of their own that is entirely unknown to most humans.  Through this blog, I hope to educate others about the importance and uniqueness of these amazing creatures including worms, springtails, insects, millipedes, and much more.

I am in no way an expert in this topic, but I am pushing myself to learn as much as I can about these creatures and their way of life.  Some people who have already helped my along the way are the volunteers from BugGuide, including Mr. Frans Janssens who knows everything there is to know about springtails (Collembola) and Mr. V. Belov who as aided me with numerous beetle identifications.

Enjoy the information and photos that I share with you through this blog!  I hope that you too can become fascinated with these creatures and that you will want to learn more about life in the soil.