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Are these springtails and isopods?

Biology Asked by Ben B on January 2, 2021

G’day!

I’m based in Victoria, Australia.

I’m hoping to culture springtails for my terrariums, so I went out and tried to collect some. I found them underneath a rock, which was sitting on damp ground. They certainly look like springtails, and gee they’re tiny! 1-2mm. But they don’t jump at all.

My first question is — is this little fella a springtail?

what looks like springtails

Fast forward a few weeks, and these little critters still seem to be alive in a jar. However, what I believe are isopods appear to have joined them. They’re super tiny though, < 2mm. And they’re always hovering around what appears to be eggs.

Here’s two pictures:

what look like isopods around springtail eggs
what looks like an isopod eating springtail eggs

I read online about the lifecycle of isopods. They don’t lay eggs; rather, the mother keeps them in a pouch on her underside. I also read that, absent better food sources, they can feed on the eggs of other insects.

So what I suspect is, that these are springtail eggs, and the isopods are eating them. Is that a correct assessment? And are these indeed isopods?

Thank you in advance for your help!

TLDR

  • Is the first picture of a springtail?
  • Are the second/third pictures of isopods eating springtail eggs?

One Answer

It seems like they're both springtail species, as suggested by Arthur's comment.

The white one appears to be a type of folsomia, which is easy enough to guess from the appearance (mine don't jump though, I guess ruling out folsomia candida?).

You can compare it to this image of one, from Wikipedia:

picture of a folsomia springtail, from Wikipedia

I purchased a cheap USB microscope to inspect the second one further. Indeed, as Arthur suggested, it only has three sets of legs: close-up image of a springtail

Additionally, I turned it around and got a look at the underside. I can only guess this is the furcula (though, interestingly, this one doesn't jump either!)?

close up of what I believe to be a springtail's furcula

I'm not sure what the genus is. Could be folsomia, or perhaps hypogastruridae? Either way, they're both springtails! Great news!

Answered by Ben B on January 2, 2021

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