belted springtail

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Belted springtail is a large slender springtail. It occurs in western Europe, southern Canada, and northern United States. It is one of the most common and one of the largest springtails in the United Kingdom. Based on the number of records, it is uncommon in Minnesota. However, it is probably underreported due to its small size and habitat preferences. It is found in soil, leaf litter, rotting wood, and moss, under stones, and on tree trunks.

Adults are elongated, slender, and small, about ⅛″ (4 mm) long. The head, thorax, abdomen, and legs are covered with long, stiff, erect hairs. They are not covered with scales. The color is variable and may be mostly reddish-brown, brown, or blackish-brown.

The head is small. On each side of the head there is a cluster of 7 simple eyes (ocelli) and no compound eyes. The ocelli are minute, no more than 10 microns in diameter. The antennae have 6 segments. Segments 1 and 2 are subdivided. The end of the second segment is white. The third segment is entirely dark and short, much shorter than the second and fourth segments. The fifth and sixth segments are brown. The sixth segment is often missing on just one antenna, suggesting damage earlier in life. First instars have just 4 antennal segments.

The thorax has 3 segments, the abdomen 6 segments. There is not a thin black line in the middle through the last two thoracic segments and the first three abdominal segments.

The first abdominal segment is short. The second segment has a white band on the rear margin. The band may be narrow or may cover half or more of the segment. The third segment is very dark, making the abdomen appear “belted”. This is the source of the common name of the species. The fourth segment is enlarged and has a forked, tail-like appendage on the underside that allows it to jump.

Total length: ⅛″ (4 mm)

Soil, leaf litter, moss, under stones, in rotting wood

Belted springtails molt throughout their lives, alternating between feeding instars and reproducing instars. When conditions are dry they will cease molting and reproducing until conditions improve. Reproduction is synchronized across a population.

Sources

24, 29, 30, 82.

Uncommon in Minnesota

Location: Woodbury, MN