Allacma fusca
| Allacma fusca | |
|---|---|
| |
| File:Allacma fusca on rotting wood.ogv | |
| Allacma fusca on rotting wood | |
| Scientific classification Error creating thumbnail: | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Collembola |
| Order: | Symphypleona |
| Family: | Sminthuridae |
| Genus: | Allacma |
| Species: | A. fusca
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| Binomial name | |
| Allacma fusca | |
Allacma fusca is a species of springtail. This species is endemic to western areas of Continental Europe and the British Isles,[1][2] where it lives in the surface layers of the soil in moist habitats such as among leaf litter.
Description
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Allacma fusca is a large species of springtail with a dark brown globular abdomen; adults reach a length of around 3.5 mm (0.14 in).[3] There is often a "snowflake"-like marking on the abdomen, which is most noticeable in paler coloured individuals.[4] The mouthparts are internal, and the head bears a pair of antennae, two groups of eyespots known as "composed eyes" and a pair of small post-antennal organs. The setae (bristles) on the third antennal segment are unequal in length, some being much longer than others, and the fourth antennal segment is divided into sixteen sub-segments. There are three thoracial segments, each bearing a leg, and five abdominal segments. The fourth abdominal segment bears an organ known as a "dens", and at the tip of this is a structure known as a "mucro". This species has mucros with smooth outer edges and saw-edged inner edges. In females, the appendage on the fifth abdominal segment is unforked.[3][5]
Distribution and habitat
[edit | edit source]This springtail is native to Western Europe. It is common in the British Isles and inhabits moist terrestrial environments such as plant litter.[3]
Ecology
[edit | edit source]Invertebrates living among the soil particles in underground habitats often experience raised levels of carbon dioxide, which tends to increase with depth. Researchers have found that the surface-dwelling Allacma fusca can tolerate a 10% level of carbon dioxide for a few hours while in contrast, the springtail Folsomia candida, which lives deeper in the soil, can survive under the same conditions for more than six weeks.[6]
References
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