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--Boundary_(ID_dEeUeFPn9n+mCh2HajnsRw) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Yes, Collembola or springtails are quite diverse -- I think Marshall said 7000 known species in the world -- and, although often thought of first as soil insects (extremely abundant there often), they are often noticed at the edges or surfaces of fresh water, as Anne mentioned, and also, interestingly, there is a single species in the genus Anurida that is very abundant along our ocean shores in and around tidal pools. They are dark-coloured and active jumpers, but I think I once read that they lack the "spring" (forcula?) for jumping that many or most springtails have. Vive la difference, but then exactly how then do they jump? There are lots of mysterious jumpers in the insect world, e.g. certain worm-like larvae of flies that are found in less-than-fresh mushrooms. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville Begin forwarded message: > From: Anne Mills <ocotillo@ns.sympatico.ca> > Date: February 16, 2010 8:43:37 PM AST > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] snow fleas (probably Boreus, Mecoptera) > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > When I was teaching Terrestrial Diversity in the Biology Department > at Dal., I always had a sample of the wingless insects on display > in the lab for the students. Andrew identified them correctly as > Collembola but I will add here that they are from one of 5 groups > (orders) of "wingless insects" (subclass Apterygota) that we > studied. The Collembola are the springtails or snowfleas that one > sees on pond surfaces or streams at this time of the year. I used > to see them often at the Hd. of St. Margaret's Bay up in the woods > either on the trail or at the edge of the stream running down the > hill. They come in various colours - black, rust, bright yellow and > blue! although I have not seen the latter two colours. If you find > a largish cluster of them on the snow put your ear to them and > you'll hear little click clicks as they jump. > > Anne Mills > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joan Czapalay" > <joancz@ns.sympatico.ca> > To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 6:45 PM > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] snow fleas (probably Boreus, Mecoptera) > > >> We used to see them a lot around the shady side of the school in >> Port La Tour, Shel. Co.. I had someone from DRN identify them as >> "snow fleas" for our outdoor nature class, but don't remember the >> scientific name. Seems we always saw them on an unusually mild day >> in Feb/early March. Cheers, Joan >> >> Stephen Shaw wrote: >>> Has anyone into winter hiking come across these, snow fleas >>> (Mecoptera = >>> scorpionflies)? >>> They are expected to be black or brown, about 3 mm long, >>> flightless (vestigial >>> wings), come out on to the snow surface in the day in winter, and >>> can jump. They have been photo'd from early December through mid >>> February on >>> Bugguide.net, in places like New Hampshire and Ontario. The >>> species featured >>> on Bugguide are mostly Boreus brumalis and Boreus nivoriundus. >>> >>> A colleague from Cambridge, Malcolm Burrows, who visited here a >>> couple of years >>> ago to work on jumping mecahnisms in true bugs, is coming back >>> again later this >>> year. He is the expert on the mechanics of insect jumps and has >>> just asked me >>> if any species of Boreus is found here. Has anyone seen any >>> jumping critter >>> like this somewhere in N.S., and if so at what sort of date? >>> Thanks, >>> Steve >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> > --Boundary_(ID_dEeUeFPn9n+mCh2HajnsRw) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> Yes, Collembola or springtails are quite diverse -- I think Marshall = said 7000 known species in the world -- and, although often thought of = first as soil insects (extremely abundant there often), they are often = noticed at the edges or surfaces of fresh water, as Anne mentioned, and = also, interestingly, there is a single species in the genus Anurida that = is very abundant along our ocean shores in and around tidal pools. = They are dark-coloured and active jumpers, but I think I once read = that they lack the "spring" (forcula?) for jumping that many or most = springtails have. Vive la difference, but then exactly how then do = they jump? There are lots of mysterious jumpers in the insect = world, e.g. certain worm-like larvae of flies that are found in = less-than-fresh mushrooms.<div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">Anne Mills <<a = href=3D"mailto:ocotillo@ns.sympatico.ca">ocotillo@ns.sympatico.ca</a>><= /font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">February 16, 2010 8:43:37 PM = AST</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: [NatureNS] snow fleas (probably = Boreus, Mecoptera)</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">When I was teaching Terrestrial Diversity in the = Biology Department at Dal., I always had a sample of the wingless = insects on display in the lab for the students. Andrew identified them = correctly as Collembola but I will add here that they are from one of 5 = groups (orders) of "wingless insects" (subclass Apterygota) that we = studied. The Collembola are the springtails or snowfleas that one sees = on pond surfaces or streams at this time of the year. I used to see them = often at the Hd. of St. Margaret's Bay up in the woods either on the = trail or at the edge of the stream running down the hill. They come in = various colours - black, rust, bright yellow and blue! although I have = not seen the latter two colours. If you find a largish cluster of them = on the snow put your ear to them and you'll hear little click clicks as = they jump.</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">Anne Mills</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: = 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">----- Original Message ----- From: "Joan Czapalay" = <<a = href=3D"mailto:joancz@ns.sympatico.ca">joancz@ns.sympatico.ca</a>></div= ><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">To: <<a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a>></d= iv><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 6:45 PM</div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">Subject: Re: [NatureNS] snow fleas (probably Boreus, = Mecoptera)</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">We used to see them a lot around = the shady side of the school in Port La Tour, Shel. Co.. I had someone = from DRN identify them as "snow fleas" for our outdoor nature class, but = don't remember the scientific name. Seems we always saw them on an = unusually mild day in Feb/early March. Cheers, Joan</div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Stephen = Shaw wrote:</div> <blockquote type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Has = anyone into winter hiking come across these, snow fleas (Mecoptera = =3D</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">scorpionflies)?</div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">They are expected to be black or brown, about 3 mm = long, flightless (vestigial</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">wings), come = out on to the snow surface in the day in winter, and can jump. They have = been photo'd from early December through mid February on</div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">Bugguide.net, in places like New Hampshire and = Ontario.<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>The species = featured</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">on Bugguide are mostly Boreus = brumalis and Boreus nivoriundus.</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: = 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">A colleague from Cambridge, = Malcolm Burrows, who visited here a couple of years</div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">ago to work on jumping mecahnisms in true bugs, is = coming back again later this</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">year.<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>He is the expert on the = mechanics of insect jumps and has just asked me</div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">if any species of Boreus is found here.<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>Has anyone seen any = jumping critter</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">like this somewhere in N.S., and = if so at what sort of date?</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; = ">Thanks,</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Steve</div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: = 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> = </blockquote></blockquote><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div> </blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_dEeUeFPn9n+mCh2HajnsRw)--
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