Subject: Miniscule Purple Water Bugs Congregation
Location: Palos Verdes, CA
March 20, 2013 5:12 pm
Hi, it’s Darlene, the insect wrangler from last year’s moth night. I found these bugs in January in Palos Verdes, CA at the Forrestal Reserve. It was a chilly and foggy day. They were chillin’ in a depression / hole in a sulfur-covered boulder. They jumped when touched. They were so small that I couldn’t identify any characteristics. Are they water fleas or maybe springtails?
Signature: Darlabutterfly

Springtails

Hi Darlene,
How nice to hear from you again.  These are most certainly Springtails, and they resemble the individuals from this posting on BugGuide which were found in nearby Torrance.  We are beginning to plan another National Moth Night event and we hope you can join us again.  Stay tuned for details.

Springtails

Hi Daniel,
Oh, they’re at the marsh. I’ve never seen them there before. I was there yesterday as a docent in training. I live in Torrance. I know the man who took the picture; Emile Fiesler.
Thank you,
Darlene

Hi Darlene,
We are happy we are able to act as a bug networking source.  Perhaps Emile can show you where he took the photograph and you can see if there are any Springtails there this year.  When conditions are right in a region, insect populations will appear in predictable patterns.

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Subject: Please help identify this insect
Location: Vancouver BC Canada
February 6, 2013 7:34 pm
This insect arrived last summer out of nowhere and still remains even in winter. There are thousands of them on my plants. They hop pretty far for such a tiny insect all of 4mm long. Touch the wrong plant or walk through our arbor and will have hundreds of these on your face, in your hair, clothes, their nasty.
All of my Contoneaster have died but no other plants are even slightest bit stressed? And there on every plant, even a small Cedar hedge.
I’ll post picks, their brown, very tiny, they walk pretty quick and hop if you try to touch one.
If anyone could guide me in the direction or know what this insect is called I would appreciate it very much, thank you…
Signature: Thank you very much, Jim.

Globular Springtail

Hi Jim,
This looks like a benign Globular Springtail.

Daniel, thank you so much for this. You nailed it, now after some searching of a couple university extension sites, I am able to control this pesty little fella without spraying. I don’t need to eradicate, just lower the population level. Will definitely donate to help keep this site going!
Cheers, Jim.

Hello again Jim,
That was very kind of you.  We wrote a quick response to you last night, but we generally do postings in the morning and we planned a more thorough response that addressed the Cotoneaster.  We suspect that there might be a relationship between the appearance of the Springtails and the demise of the plants, though the Springtails are not responsible for the plants dying.  The conditions that resulted in the death of the plants might be related to the soil, or the dead plants might be providing organic material to support the robust population of Springtails.  They are beneficial insects that help break down organic matter into humus, but they can become a nuisance when conditions support a population explosion.

Daniel, thanks again. We had an unusual 3 month hot drought, even though I watered, I think it may have been the main cause for the Cotoneaster to die. But…I am only guessing at this point.
Cheers, Jim.

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Subject: Some kind of small black beetle?
Location: Western Washington
January 30, 2013 4:12 am
Hello I am in Western Washington and it has been about 40 degrees and wet lately. There were about 20 of these bugs that came in the house on a package that was delivered from Amazon and hidden behind a potted plant on our porch. I brought it in at night. I have never seen these bugs before which makes me believe they come out at night or live in the plant. It seems to have 4 white dots on it’s back. They just kind of wandered around the kitchen floor. Not towards dark…. although they didn’t seem to like the camera flash. They are about the size of a ladybug. Maybe slightly smaller.
Signature: Curious

Globular Springtail

Dear Curious,
This looks very much to us like a Globular Springtail in the order Symphypleona.  You can see BugGuide for additional information.  They are benign creatures that like a damp environment and they will not harm your home.  We don’t think you can blame Amazon for their presence.

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I read it the next day. I worded it kind of weird, but I didn’t mean to indicate possible blame on Amazon (we order tons of stuff through them), figured they were coming from some plant. I was just extra concerned because we have an 8 month old now =D
Have a great day!
Adam and Family

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Subject: Purple bug bloom?
Location: Renton WA
January 24, 2013 6:49 pm
I have several spots on the driveway that look like a spill or a mildew but on close exam they move and appear to be very tiny bugs. I have never seen this before. By the way, the weather has been below freezing at night and in the low forties in the daytime.
Signature: Jim N

Springtails

Hi Jim,
You have Springtails, tiny hexapods that often proliferate in great numbers under damp conditions.  They are benign creatures that can become a nuisance if they are too plentiful, however, they perform an important role in breaking down organic matter.  Here is a closeup image of Springtails from our archive.

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Subject: Tiny purple flea like bugs
Location: Gold Bar, WA
January 15, 2013 1:01 am
These tiny flea like bugs show up each winter, trillions of them! They collect in large clusters seemingly attracted to light colored objects, hopping on them. They creep us out and we wonder if they can be harmful to us or our animals. When clustered up they appear a very dark purple color. Hope you can help us identity these things. Thanks
Signature: Eric Inan

Springtails

Dear Eric,
You have Springtails, and population explosions like this might be a nuisance, but they are not dangerous.

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Subject: Found in baby bottle sanitizer
Location: Southern California
January 3, 2013 2:03 am
Dear Bugman, I’ve been finding these buggers in the machine that I use to sanitize my baby’s bottles. After the steaming cycle is done, I wipe down the excess water, and I leave the cover ajar for all the water to dry, I would often find one or so of these hanging out in the machine.
When the cover is fully on, I’ve never found these bugs…please help, thank you
Signature: Baby’s Safety

Springtail

This is a Springtail and it is a common insect found worldwide.  They are often found in homes if conditions are right.  They are benign and will not harm you or your child.  We are quite certain the steam kills them when the bottles are being sanitized.  Outdoors they aid decomposition and according to BugGuide:  “They may also graze on spores of molds and mildews, especially indoors where there is a lack of other food sources.”  They could be considered beneficial inside the home as they would inhibit the growth of mold and mildew.

Thank you so much Daniel, it relieves me to know that they are benign.  Have a good one!

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Subject: What’s this bug?
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
December 9, 2012 5:20 pm
I noticed an infestation of these in my dog’s outside poop bag receptacle. I also recently took him to the vet and they think he might have been bitten by something carrying Lyme Disease. Could these tiny things be the culprit?
Signature: Thank you, CZ

Globular Springtail

Dear CZ,
This is a marvelous photo of a harmless Globular Springtail.  The worst that can be said of Springtails is that they are a nuisance when they are plentiful.  Here is a posting from our archives that might represent your species.

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Subject: Small bugs all over the place
Location: Rockland County, New York
December 8, 2012 2:52 pm
Any idea what these small bugs are? There are hundreds of them all over my deck, sidewalk, and nearby trees. Some kind of aphids? Are they harmful?
Signature: Karla

Globular Springtails

Dear Karla,
You have Globular Springtails in the order Symphypleona, and though they may be a nuisance when they are plentiful, they are quite benign.  Since they help break down organic matter, they should be considered beneficial.  See BugGuide for additional information.  There is more information on the Class Collembola page on BugGuide.

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