Tiny, Round, Brown-ish Jumping Insects

OANYC

Seed
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Hey all,

Happy spring (if you're in the spring'n part of the world.) I've got some tiny insects I haven't seen before crawling around on the benches in my yard. I'm wondering if anyone could identify them. I haven't had much luck googling.

They seem to be crawling around on my wood benches, I couldn't find any on the ground or on the my trees. They're not particularly fast, or too easily alarmed, but if you get your finger behind them they'll jump, almost like a flea, sometimes disappearing, sometimes only a few inches away.

Image is attached, and here's a link to the image if that doesn't work.

Best,

OA
 

Attachments

  • lilBug.jpg
    lilBug.jpg
    302.5 KB · Views: 39

devolved primate

Seedling
Messages
13
Reaction score
20
Those appear to be collemboans also known as springtails. The behavior is an escape mechanism utilizing what is known as a furcla that literally acts like a spring. They are basically benign and are an indicator of good soil microbial health. They feed on dead and decaying plant matter and fungi for the most part. Hopes this helps, they are all over our soil up here in the western nc mountains and I've never had a problem with them affecting any of my plants.
 

OANYC

Seed
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Thanks primate! I looked up collemboans and think I've got the pleasure of hosting bourletiella hortensis, which might have the creepiest eyes of any bug I've seen.
 

devolved primate

Seedling
Messages
13
Reaction score
20
No problem,glad I could help. The richness and diversity of our soil microbiome is quite amazing to me. There certainly are some nasty little beasties duking it out around our plants roots lol.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
Apologies for the delay!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce
 
Top Bottom