Insect ID?

[TENroaches]

I was out cleaning freshly fertilized lawn clippings off my plants ( ) when I noticed a bunch of these little guys all over at least one pot. Any idea what they are? Are they bad for CPs?

 

[eou812]

Crap dude i don't know what they are. Not sure if they are harmful or not to carnivorous plants. You sure do have a infestation.

 

[Not a Number]

Probably springtails - generally harmless since they eat decaying matter

http://46.18.32.69/~doehetzelf/taxa/katiidae.htm

 

[TENroaches]

I have tons all over most of my pots. I hope they're harmless. Thanks for the link, Not a Number. It looks like it might be those.

 

[Not a Number]

Another similar family

http://46.18.32.69/~doehetzelf/taxa/sphyinae.htm

Great free and effortless food source for Pinguicula, Drosera and seedlings (Sarracenia, Darlingtonia, Drosera, Dionaea etc.)

 

[rattler]

look like a type of springtail to me.......

 

[kulamauiman]

one whole suborder of them are shaped like this. they are the globular springtails. One of the larger sized in this primitive order of insects.

http://www.google.com/search?q=glob...ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBMQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=835

 

[TENroaches]

one whole suborder of them are shaped like this. they are the globular springtails. One of the larger sized in this primitive order of insects.

http://www.google.com/search?q=glob...ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBMQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=835

Thanks, kulamauiman! So, no harm to my plants and their pots? I might have to work something out for my sundew so that it's not surrounded by a moat, if it wants to eat the springtails.

 

[RL7836]

They're incredible cool looking! How large are they?

 

[kulamauiman]

springtails can walk on water. they will cross a moat just fine by themselves. Feed on fungi, algae or decaying organic matter. ideal to have infesting seedling area of drosera or almost any CP seedlings.....

 

[TENroaches]

I imagine they don't even have to walk on water to get to my plants. I got near them with tweezers and they simply disappeared. Vanished. No wonder they call them springtails.

 

[vraev]

Yup! I have quite a nice population of them as well. Mine have two white dots and a fully black body. They do no harm. Had them for over 3y in my neps.