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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

BUG OF THE MONTH March 2010: Snowfly and a Snow Flea

Ed. Note: February 28, 2010
Selecting the Bug of the Month each month is always a careful decision, and we like to try to select a recent submission that is timely in its appearance.  Insects that appear while there is still snow on the ground are unusual, but not at all rare.  This Snowfly is a creature that may be encountered by a sizable portion of our readership in the coming month.

Snow bugs?
February 24, 2010
Sorry to bug you all again (pun not intended, I assure you!)
But today at the river getting some photos of the snow, I saw these black things scurrying across the top. On a closer look, I noticed they were some kind of flying insect. Some were hitching a ride on another (or mating, not sure). I was careful not to step on any of them. (I hope I didn’t!). I’m sorry the photos aren’t great, but I don’t have the right lens for that. To be honest, they looked like miniature Dobson flies! Some were about almost an inch long. They were only at the river. What are these little guys?
Thanks a bunch, Terra
River, Massachusetts

Snowfly

Hi Terra,
Despite the snow, many insects are active during the winter months.  In the winter we frequently get images like yours of Snowflies, a group of Winter Stoneflies in the family Capniidae.  Though we do not refrain from posting photos that our readership takes during the summer months when the short cold days of winter allow people kept people indoors to work on the computer more, we much prefer timely postings like yours.  According to BugGuide Snowfly:  “nymphs live beneath rocks and gravel on the bottom of streams and rivers adults are often seen on snow, or resting on concrete bridges over streams” which explains your sighting near the water in the snow.  We wish you had provided an image of a mating pair for our Bug Love section.  One of your images contains a tiny Springtail in the genus Hypogastrura, and the species that are found on the snow are known as  Snow Fleas.  You may read more about these in our archive as well as on BugGuide.

Snowfly and Snow Flea

Wow! Thank you so much for the fast reply! I’m quite interested to hear more about these guys- they’re quite cute!
I’ll have to have a read on them, thank you!
(And sorry for the quality of the images- it was dark out!)

Ed. Note: After posting this letter and photos, a second photo of a Snowfly resulted in a request from the Xerces Society to use the image in an Endangered Species Act petition .  Read about that here.


Posted Site News § Stoneflies and Snowflies ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged:

Springtails in the UK

Tiny aquatic insects
March 15, 2010
About a three weeks ago I noticed, what can only be described as, a “raft” in tiny insects floating in a bucket of rainwater at my front door. They are about 3-4mm in length and, when disturbed, dart around in the water before coming back togather again.
Ann Sutherland
Longhope, Island of Hoy, Orkney, Scotland, UK

Springtails

Hi Ann,
These are Springtails, primitive insects that are believed to be the most common arthropod on the planet.  Springtails are highly diverse in their habitats depending upon the species.  Some species are found on the surface of the snow and are known as Snow Fleas, and others are found on the surface of the ocean.  Springtails similar to the ones you found are sometimes found in great numbers on the surface of swimming pools.  Others are found in damp soil and in moldy conditions indoors.

Posted 16 March 2010 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Globular Springtails

Little spider looking guys that float on water
February 8, 2010
I have found these guys floating on some standing water around my house. They seem to be mostly on the water, but also around it a little bit. They are quite small, as the one by my finger is one of the biggest ones. They seem to have a slight reddish or yellowish color to them. And they can scoot along the water QUITE speedily. They look like spiders and don’t appear to have wings. Not sure what they are! Can you help please!
-iLan
seattle, wa

Globular Springtails

Hi iLan,
These are Globular Springtails in the class Collembla and the order Symphypleona.  BugGuide has a wonderful series of photos of a species that was identified as Dicyrtomina ornata that is very detailed.  Alas, we are unable to identify which species of Globular Springtail you have discovered.

Globular Springtail

Posted 09 February 2010 § ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Elongate Bodied Springtails

Small nearly microscopic bugs in my plant
January 21, 2010
I live in New Hampshire, USA. It’s currently January 21,2010. I have an Ivy plant that was getting unruly and part of it started to die so I cut it back. When I watered the plant, I noticed that there seemed to be thousands of very tiny bugs coming out of the soil in the pot. These little bugs are so small they can barely be seen by the naked eye. Once the water was absorbed by the soil, most of the bugs went back into the soil. There is wood and compost inside the soil that was used to pot the plant. I would like to know what kind of bugs they are? Are they dangerous to my kids and pet? Will they eat my house down? And if they shouldn’t be in the house, how to I get rid of them? I have attached some pictures of the plant and the bugs. You may have to blow t he pics up a little to get a goo look. The pics were taken using a macro lens to get a good look. It was very hard to catch one standing still long enough to get a pic at all. Any help you can provide will be appreciated. Thanks.
Eric Hardy
New Hampshire, USA, indoors

Elongate Bodied Springtails

Hi Eric,
We believe you have benign Elongate Bodied Springtails in the order Entomobryomorpha.  These common primitive insects have a worldwide distribution and they help organic materials in soil to be converted into humus.  You can compare your insects to images on BugGuide.

Posted 22 January 2010 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Aquatic Springtails

Springtails?
December 22, 2009
Here are some photos of what I found in my water well pressure tank. The tank has been installed on my private well for about ten years. The vinyl bag inside the tank had a leak which caused water to go from the bag into the tank which is normally only filled with air. Upon removal of the water well pressure tank I removed the bottom seal and dumped the remaining water which was dark and very smelly of stagnant water. I noticed these little guys moving around and was shocked they were alive. My water well is about 100′ deep and sealed from ground water run off to the best of my knowledge. I will have my water tested again to ensure there are no problems with water run off. I am wondering how did these little guys get inside a sealed pressure tank? I doubt they were pumped up from 100′ below ground.
I have some captured inside a bottle and have noticed in darkness they remain on top of the water but are not to active, upon exposing to sunlight they become quite active and jump like fleas do. I have never seen anything like it and am very curious as to what these little guys are. I did shoot a video but it’s very shaky at 45X holding the camera by hand. Any light you may shed on these would be very much appreciated
Thank you, Charles Senn
Olalla, Washington

Springtails

Springtails

Hi Charles,
We are generally reluctant to try to give exact species identifications on Springtails, but your specimens are probably Podura aquatica as evidenced by images on BugGuide which indicates:  “Range Europe, North America and Siberia  Habitat  Semi-aquatic. Often found floating on the surface of small bodies of standing water such as ponds, as well as on stream and pond banks.” We would not discount that they were pumped up from 100 feet below the surface.  Your well does have surface water after all.

Springtails

Springtails

Thank you for the prompt reply but I do disagree with your assessment
that my well has surface water as it’s sealed in 6″ steel casing welded
together all the way down to the aquifer. At the surface the well is
sealed from the ground with bentonite which is what they use around here
and it appears to be in great shape. But I would also have to assume
those guys got in there some how just not sure how. I hope you post my
response on your website and I really appreciate your help.
Thanks,
Charles Senn

Thanks for the clarification Charles.  Our vision of a well is something you drop a bucket into and then crank it to the surface.  Though we don’t fully understand the mechanics of your water system, we are certain you have Springtails.

Posted 22 December 2009 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Springtail Population Explosion

Purple masses
December 20, 2009
I have around my house 8-10 masses about 6 inches across of moving purple tiny bugs…they flip around 2or3 inches like fleas flip, though not far from the mass.
Tommy Walker
North Georgia

Springtails

Springtails

Dear Tommy,
You have had a real population explosion of Springtails, small primitive insects that are able to hop a great distance.  Though they are generally considered benign, they can become a nuisance when they enter homes.  The University of Minnesota has a nice website devoted to Springtails with much helpful information.  The website indicates:  “Springtails are thought to be the second most abundant group of soil-dwelling organisms in the world, only after the soil-dwelling mites. In general, springtails can have population densities ranging from 300 million to 1.4 billion per acre depending on factors such as humidity and organic matter content.”

Update
December 22, 2009
We believe these may be in the genus Hypogastrura, based on images posted to BugGuide.

Posted 21 December 2009 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Springtails in South Africa

Microscopic bugs in the swimming pool
November 28, 2009
Thousands of tiny insects in the swimming pool. Not on the grass, trees or flowers. Appear after big rains and hot days. Floating on water and very active once scooped out. They jump approx 10cm and they are 1 or 2 mm
Phil
Johannesburg, South Africa

Springtails

Springtails

Hi Phil,
We recently completed a section of our book where we talk about Springtails being the most common insects on the planet, with a worldwide distribution and adapting to varying habitats.  There are several groups of Springtails that will become quite numerous and are fond of living on the surface of the water of swimming pools.  You have Springtails.

Springtails

Springtails

Posted 28 November 2009 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Springtails

Large masses of tiny graphite colored bugs
October 1, 2009
These bugs have been present since early Spring. They appear to be coming out of the gravel around the house and hot tub when it rains. They are dark gray in color and are less than 1/16″ in length. We are concerned that they may infest our house.
We would appreciate your help in identifying them.
Don
Packwood, WA – S side of Mt Rainier

Springtails

Springtails

Dear Don,
We are so happy you sent excellent images of both the entire aggregation of Springtails, and a detailed closeup leads us to believe they are in the family Hypogastruridae.  Springtails are among the most common insects in the world.  Most species are very habitat specific, and there are some species that are found in homes, especially in showers, under sinks, and in damp basements.  Springtails are benign creatures that often feed on mold and fungus.  If they are present in the house, they may be symptomatic of another underlying problem, like mold growth.  We do not believe the species depicted in your photo will infest your home.

Springtails

Springtails

Posted 02 October 2009 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Elongate Bodied Springtail

Jumping Bug
Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 8:35 PM
Hi,
These tiny insects, no longer than an 1/8 inch, appear on my drawing desk while I work. They seem most prevalent in the summertime, hopping from out of nowhere onto my white paper at a rate of at least 1 per hour. They’re not particularly bothersome, but they jump faster than the eye can see… and I figure they’ve got to be coming from somewhere. Sorry for the bad pics, but I was lucky just to photograph it. Thanks!
Paolo
Brooklyn, NY

Springtail

Springtail

Hi Paolo,
This is a Springtail.  It looks to be an Elongate Bodied Springtail in the Suborder Arthropleona – Elongate-bodied Springtails, Family Entomobryidae, Genus Entomobrya, and possibly Species Entomobrya griseoolivata  as evidenced by an image on BugGuide. If Springtails get numerous, they can be an annoyance, but they are basically quite benign.

Posted 25 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Springtail, NOT Booklouse

PLEASE HELP!
Please help me figure out what these bugs are! I recently moved from NY to NC and was warned that there are alot of bugs down here – I just didnt thing I would be dealing with them so quickly! I moved into a new-build house about a week ago and the day before yesterday noticed these tiny tiny little blackish bugs on my laundry room floor. I now also have them along the back wall in my kitchen. Upon inspection of my patio, which is on the other side of that wall, I was appalled to find hundreds of these bugs. They do not fly and they stay on the floor – they dont crawl up on table legs, walls, cabinets etc. I initially thought, after looking through your site, that they might be springtails but these bugs do not jump like people were saying springtails do. Please help me find out what these are and how to get rid of them – the bug spray i bought did nothing! I am getting the weeby-geebies!! Thank you!
Jodi

Ed. Note: We incorrectly identified these Springtails as Booklice, but then the following letter arrived and corrected our error.

Correction: (05/26/2008) not a book louse
After looking closely, I think that your book louse is a collembola. … at the top of the page, the dark bug facing left on a white background. I think this because I’m looking at both under a scope at the moment. Check out the antennae – lots of medium-length segments, like a collembola, rather than a short scape and long thin flagellum like a book louse – and the shape of the head, which seems much more like a collembola as it is not wider at the base than the tip, the way a book louse is. FWIW,
Liz D. (small bug newbie)

Posted 09 May 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Springtails

Bugs
Dear Bugman,
From searching on your site I believe the bugs I saw last week on Mt. Tamalpais, here in Marin County are springtails. They were clustered in a band about a foot wide in a circle about 8 feet in diameter. I took a short video clip that shows them springing about. If you can confirm the ID I’d appreciate it. Thank you,
Rick Wachs

Hi Rick,
You are absolutely correct. These are Springtails. We are not sure what family, genus or species however.

Posted 02 February 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Elongate Bodied Springtail

Need bug ID please
I’ve been doing reptile rescue/rehab for close to 30 years now. I’ve seen every mite, springtail, tick etc there probably is in snake enclosures. However today, I found a film of "dust" floating on the surface (none sank that I could see) of a baby Amazon tree boa’s water bowl. The enclosed photo is of 2 specks of the "dust" at 1600x plus whatever the zoom of my digital camera might have added. I can’t find any good photos of larvae stages of various mite species. Plus it only has 6 legs. The only other "bug" I regularly see in the snake cages other than springtails and occasionally reptile mites is some type of very small fly that dies off when the cages are dry but come back when they stay damp for a few days or when bowels move or when a snake sheds, they stick around till the shed dries. (We lovingly refer to these flies as "shed flies". We use permetherin to kill off mite infestations. Permetherin does not kill these flies …anyway, that’s another topic. What is this little bug the larvae, pupa or adult stage of? Any idea? I observed the one on the right sloughing. It appears the one on the left had already sloughed. I can see them a lot better directly through the microscope than you can see in the photos. Sorry about that. It’s the best I can do with the equipment I have. Thanks
Brett Gardin

Hi Brett,
This is one of the Elongate Bodied Springtails in the suborder Arthropleona. In our humble opinion, this is Podura aquatica, which, according to BugGuide is: “Semi-aquatic. Often found floating on the surface of small bodies of standing water such as ponds, as well as on stream and pond banks.”

Posted 30 January 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

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