Tag: springtails

First ever discovery of Lepidosira springtails in China reveals four new species

The tiny arthropods were found in Yintiaoling National Nature Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot.

Researchers from Nantong University have announced the discovery of four new species belonging to the springtail genus Lepidosira in China, representing the first record of this genus in the country. 

The findings, confirmed by both advanced molecular and traditional morphological analysis, are published in the latest issue of Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s open-access entomology journal Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift.

Led by researchers Xiaowei Qian, Meidong Jing, and Yitong Ma, the study involved extensive fieldwork in the Yintiaoling National Nature Reserve in Chongqing, a biodiversity hotspot in southwestern China. 

Springtail on a dark background.
Lepidosira wuxiensis sp. nov. A, B. Habitus (lateral view). Scale bars: 500 μm. Credit: Qian et al.

Through COI barcoding and meticulous examination of physical characteristics, the team identified and described four species new to science: Lepidosira apigmenta, L. similis, L. wuxiensis, and L. chongqingensis. These species expand scientific understanding of the diversity and evolution of springtails: tiny, soil-dwelling arthropods that play a critical role in ecosystem health and soil fertility.

In addition to introducing these new species, the study proposes taxonomic updates, including the transfer and renaming of two previously known Chinese species based on their true affinities to Lepidosira. The use of genetic barcoding was key to overcoming the limitations of identification methods based only on colouration, a common but unreliable trait in traditional Collembola taxonomy.

Springtail on a dark background.
Lepidosira similis sp. nov. A, B. Habitus (lateral view). Scale bars: 500 μm. Credit: Qian et al.

The research team also provides an updated identification key for the scaled genera of the subfamily Entomobryinae, further facilitating future studies in the region.

This discovery highlights the richness of endemic species in China and the importance of continued exploration in under-studied habitats. The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Large Instruments Open Foundation of Nantong University.

Original source
Qian X, Jing M, Ma Y (2025) First report of Lepidosira (Collembola, Entomobryidae) from China, with description of four new species under the aid of COI barcoding. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 72(2): 341-365. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.72.153961

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Underground gourmet: Selected terrestrial cave invertebrates and their meal preferences

Doubting whether terrestrial cave invertebrates feed on just anything they can find in the harsh food-wise environment underground, Dr. Jaroslav Smrz, fromCharles University, Vinicna, and his international team conducted a research in Slovakian and Romania caves. They tested the hypothesis that these species have rather negligible selection of food. Their microanatomical research into the gut content of several microwhip scorpions, oribatid mites, millipedes, springtails and crustaceans showed, however, that there is an evident meal preference among the species.

The results confirmed that the studied groups can adapt and develop under the pressure of extreme environmental factors. Therefore, the researchers concluded a low level of food competition. The study is available in the Subterranean Biology open-access journal.

The scientists studied the cells and tissues of the selected invertebrates and found out that the gut contents were nearly identical between the representatives of each group. This was the case even when the specimens had been collected from various locations. For instance, all microwhip scorpions proved a preference for cyanobacteria, while the mites favored the bacteria found in bat guano and the millipedes – fungi.

“The limited food offer seems to be used very unambiguously and thoroughly by the invertebrate communities,” the research team explained. “Therefore, the competition for food can be actually regarded as very low,” they concluded.

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Original source:

Smrz J, Kovac L, Mikes J, Sustr V, Lukesova A, Tajovsky K, Novakova A, Reznakova P (2015) Food sources of selected terrestrial cave arthropods. Subterranean Biology 16: 37-46. doi:10.3897/subtbiol.16.8609