The Collembola of Rangitoto

I had arrived with big expectations and a head torch, but reality soon crept in. Firstly, lava stone is the most painful rock to kneel on, no question. It even hurts, picking up a rock. After half an hour of fruitless searching, I found a single springtail, a juvenile Neelus murinus.

Travelling, New Zealand, Island, AuklandAndy Murray15 November 2016Collembola, Springtail, Spinotheca magnasetacea, Neelus murinus, Neanuridae, Rangitoto Island, Auckland, New Zealand, Volcanic, Primary successionComment

Springtails, Spinothecinae and neck organs

Within a few days of arriving, beneath the tree ferns at St Columba Falls in the east of Tasmania, I'd found and photographed my first Adelphoderia regina, a juvenile, complete with those bizarre neck organs. They were unmistakable. I also saw my first Acanthanura, the genus of famous Australian 'giant' springtails and got a leech in my eye. That was a great day.

CollembolaAndy Murray9 November 2016Spinothecinae, Adelphoderia regina, Adelphoderia, Spinotheca magnasetacea, New Zealand, Australia, mesofauna, Tasmania, Springtail, Collembola, Rainforest, Punakaiki, Penny Greenslade, Andy Murray, Macro photography

All about springtails, soil mesofauna and me