Entomobryidae


Entomobryidae, sometimes called "slender springtails", is a family of springtails characterised by having an enlarged fourth abdominal segment and a well-developed furcula. Species in this family may be heavily scaled and can be very colourful. The scale-less Entomobryidae are commonly caught in pitfall traps around the planet, and also occur in canopy faunas high up in trees. There are more than 1700 described species in Entomobryidae.

Description

This family has a reduced prothorax that lacks setae. The antennae are longer than the head diagonal. A mandibular plate is present. The abdominal segments are not fused. The body has trichobothria and thick clavate setae, and often scales as well. The dens is longer than the manubrium, tapering and annulated. The dentes are roughly parallel and distally curved. The mucro is small and has one or two teeth.
In more general terms, Entomobryidae tend to be relatively large springtails, reaching 2 mm or more. They may have stripes, bands or streaks of blue, red or purple. Some species are all blue or all white, the latter tending to also have reduced ocelli. Cave-dwelling species have long appendages and the claws are often modified.

Ecology

On humid mornings, many entomobryid species climb herbaceous plants to feed on pollen and the spores of fungi.
Entomobryids have been found in brood galleries of bark beetles, where they are presumed to feed on fungi or act as saprophages.
Some species live in intertidal habitats.
Springtails of this family are prey for a range of predators, including various ground beetles, the shore bug Saldula saltatoria, soil centipedes, lady beetle larvae, ants and crab spiders.

Genera

These 38 genera belong to the family Entomobryidae:Acanthurella Börner, 1906 gAcrocyrtus Yosii, 1959 gAmazhomidia gAmericabrya Mari Mutt & Palacios-vargas, 1987 bAphysa Handschin, 1925 gAscocyrtus Yosii, 1963 gAustralotomurus Stach, 1947 gBessoniella Deharveng & Thibaud, 1989 gCalx bCoecobrya Yosii, 1956 c g bCorynothrix Tullberg, 1876 i c gDicranocentrus Schött, 1893 gDrepanura Schoett, 1891 c g bEntomobrya Rondani, 1861 i c g bEntomobryoides Maynard, 1951 g bEpimetrura Schött, 1925 gHaloentomobrya Stach, 1963 gHawinella Bellinger & Christiansen, 1974 i c gHeteromurus Wankel, 1860 i c g bHomidia Börner, 1906 g bJanetschekbrya Yosii, 1971 i c gLepidobrya c gLepidocyrtoides Schött, 1917 gLepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 i c g bLepidosira c gMesentotoma bOrchesella Templeton, 1758 i c g bOrchesellides Bonet, 1930 i c gPermobrya Riek, 1976 gPseudosinella Schaeffer, 1897 i c g bRhynchocyrtus de Mendoça & Fernandes, 2007 gSeira Lubbock, 1869 i c g bSinella Brook, 1882 i c g bSinelloides Bonet, 1942 gSinhomidia Zhang, 2009 gTyrannoseira Bellini & Zeppelini, 2011 gVerhoeffiella Absolon, 1900 i gWillowsia Shoebotham, 1917 i c g b
Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net