slender springtail

Homidia socia is a common, small, slender springtail. It occurs in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, North America, and Central America. In the United States it occurs east of the Great Plains.

Adults are small, up to 3⁄32″ (2.16 mm) in length. The body is elongate and elliptical. The ground color is pale yellow (pale), and the markings are brown, dark brown, or dark blue (dark). On each side of the body, a longitudinal, dark stripe (lateral stripes) extends from the head, across the thorax, onto the first three abdominal segments. A similar stripe (median stripe) extends from the second thoracic segment to the third abdominal segment.

The head, thorax, abdomen, and legs are covered with long, stiff, erect hairs. They are not covered with scales.

The head is small. On each side of the head there is a “composed eye”, which is a cluster of 8 simple eyes (ocelli) and no compound eyes. The eye patches are dark. The antennae are slightly more than one-half of the body length, and they have 4 segments. They are pale with at least some dark pigment. Behind each antenna there is a small, specialized, sensory organ (postantennal organ or PAO).

The thorax has 3 segments, and each segment bears a pair of legs.

The abdomen has 6 segments. The fourth segment has a spring-loaded, forked, tail-like appendage (furca) used for jumping. The furca is held folded under the abdomen, locked in place by a clasp-like structure (retinaculum) on the third abdominal segment. When it is released, it launches the springtail into the air.

Total length: up to 3⁄32″ (2.16 mm)

Pollen

Sources

29, 30, 82.

This species has no common name. The common name for the Family Entomobryidae is slender springtails, and it is applied here for convenience.

Alfredo Colon
8/7/2022

Location: Albany, NY