Tiny red specks
This winter has been exceptionally warm in the Atlanta, Georgia USA area, so some bugs may be hatching out of season. This morning I looked outside to see my back cement patio covered in what I thought was a fine mist of water…millions of tiny specks. Then I noticed that the rug at the back door had a small red pile on it as if someone had spilled half a bottle of paprika or chili powder….I looked closer to notice that it was moving – these little specks were tiny insects – so tiny that I couldn’t see any legs. They couldn’t have been any bigger than a grain of salt but there were literally millions of them. They were a rusty-red color. Any idea what they were? I didn’t get a picture because I was afraid my dogs would track them into the house so I hosed them off of the back patio immediately. Oh yeah, one more thing I forgot about – the bugs jumped like fleas…maybe they WERE fleas but I’ve never seen any that tiny and have never seen a pile of them like that.
Blaine

Hi Blaine,
The jumping and aggregation leads us to believe you have Springtails.

Thanks for the quick response- today (just a few minutes ago, actually) I went out and looked for them and found just a couple of them crawling around – again, these are so tiny – about the size of a pinhead…maybe smaller. I was able to get some pictures. I had to put a magnifying glass in front of my camera because even my camera’s macro mode wasn’t good enough to get a picture. Do these look like springtails (images attached)?

Hi again Blaine,
This is definitely a photo of a Springtail. .

Tidal bugs
Hello,
This summer I was on vacation on the island of Vinalhaven off the coast of Maine. While exploring the wonderful tidal pools there, my family and I discovered little clumps of blue-grey bugs who would utilize the surface tension of the water and hang out on top of it. They would move across the surface of the water by clutching each other and rearranging themselves. It was certainly not a very efficient or graceful way of moving, but it was mesmerizing to watch! They would occasionally reach the edge of the tidal pool and walk around on the rocks, but they would always end up back in the water again shortly. I could not tell whether they preferred being in the water or were just very clumsy. I’m guessing that they are either larvae or nymphs of something–but beyond that, I have no idea! Any thoughts on what these charming little creatures could be? Thank you,
Julia

Hi Julia,
We were struck by the resemblance of your unknown (to us) creatures to a type of Springtail known as the Snow Flea, a primitive insect. We googled “Springtail, marine” and were lead to a fascinating description of a surface dwelling species named Anurida maritima. Typing that into the search engine lead us to a positive identification of your creature on a UK website that states: “Anurida maritima is abundant and primarily limited to the upper intertidal zone. It can be found in large clusters of 20-100’s wandering over rocks in search of food or floating on the surface film of upper shore rock pools (only when the water is still). This species retreats into rocky crevices, or shelters under weeds during high tide: retreating one hour before the tide begins to rise.” We then found a reference on a Maine website that translates the scientific name as “wingless one who goes to sea.”

Unknown bug everywhere
I hope you can help me figure out what is the name of this bug. I’m worried because they’ve suddenly appeared in different parts of my house. I started out seeing them on the first floor, by the stairs coming up from the finished basement. Now I’m also seeing them upstairs on the second floor, on the ceiling of the loft and on pieces of paper on my computer desk. They’ve also been seen on the floor along the wall in the kitchen. They’re not very big, ranging from extremely tiny to small. I had to use the macro lens on my camera to get a decent picture. One picture is of one that I found on a sheet of paper on my desk that I killed. The other two were of another one walking along the loft ceiling. The two bugs look a little different but the antenna look the same. The dead one has the long things coming out of the tail end, which reminded me of a silverfish, but the live one did not. They also kind of smear like a silverfish if you kill them. Please help! I’m worried that they might be damaging the house or something. They’ve just started appearing in the last month or so.
Dave B, in Virginia

Hi Dave,
This is one of the over 2000 species of Springtail in the order Collembola. Most species, though a nuisance when they get plentiful, are benign, feeding on mold, decaying vegetation and algae. Algae feeders are often found in pools. Though they aren’t harmful, they might be symptomatic of a mold problem.

These springtails were in a water dish in my hermit crab tank. They maybe still in the larva stage and thought you’d enjoy the image.
Regards,
Wade Fulp

Hi Wade,
What a wonderful and artful photograph. We are thrilled to post it.

Found Springtails in tub ! I keep finding these bugs in the bathtub and bathroom sinks of our new house in Dallas Texas. I cant seem to get rid of them. I searched the net to determine what but is it. From your website, I am fairly certain it is a Springtail. Thank you for having this cool website…. only one problem, your HTML code is full of bugs. A lot of info on Springtails to add to your site. Here is a link I found all about Springtails , the small bugs that I found in my bathtub. http://www.bugspray.com/article/springtail.html
Thanks,
Michael in DALLAS TEXAS

Thanks Michael. Our readers will appreciate this.

What is this bug.
Hi, I have attached these few good images I could get of this bug. I have these near a door in my house. They a hairy and hop a few inches (2-5) at a time. And sometimes, they just walk around. Can you please tell me what they are and if I should be worried?
Thanks,
Jon
Belleville, IL

Hi Jon,
You have Springtails, most likely Ainsley’s Springtail, Orchesella ainsliei. They inhabit leaf litter, soil and fungi as well as wet vegetation. It ranges from New York to Iowa according to the Audubon Guide. In the spring, it often appears in great numbers. They might be a nuisance, but they are harmless, feeding on juices from decaying plant material.