Bug ID needed

[31drew31]

Found some of these guys in the LFS of my nepenthes pots. They look and act like springtails to me, but I am just guessing. They jump an inch or so when touched like springtails and are only in the moist LFS and not on the plants.

Toothpick for size reference.

 

[kulamauiman]

http://bugguide.net/node/view/528547

Two-spotted springtail - Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus

 

[31drew31]

Thanks kulamauiman!! Good to have my suspicions confirmed.

 

[Peatmoss]

Kula, you always seem to provide the answers in these threads, are you an entomologist?

 

[RL7836]

That has to be one of the coolest-looking springtails I've seen!

Anyone from the US going to offer a colony of these in the NASC?

 

[kulamauiman]

Kula, you always seem to provide the answers in these threads, are you an entomologist?

http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/559983/

 

[Peatmoss]

Really interesting! Sounds like a cool job.

 

[NewspaperFort]

http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/559983/

cool article! nice to meet you

and neat bug, aswell

 

[Nep Lover]

been wondering what these are also, i got these all over my pots haha just gotta look

 

[maxima]

Be careful about these round springtails, they can cause serious plant damage. I always use chemicals and destroy them all whenever I see them; they almost destroyed my sarracenia collection and left behind many deformed leaves. The ones I had didn't have the two spots though, so maybe yours is harmless.

Great job, Kulamauiman!