http://www.collembola.org/key/fkuk.htm - Last updated on 2010.01.18 by Frans Janssens
Checklist of the Collembola: Key to common surface dwelling species of Collembola from the UK

This key is still under construction. Note that missing figures will be provided as soon as possible. Currently, the key is in the feasibility study phase to find out how to integrate in the checklist in a modular way a key that has been generated with DELTA.

Size of Collembola compared to thumb
Frans Janssens, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, B-2020, Belgium
Shane Farrell, Butterfly Conservation Cheshire & Peak District Branch, Cheshire, VC58, UK

Preamble

This experimental and macrophotographically illustrated key is intended to key out the most common surface dwelling species of Collembola from the UK, based on habitus inspection of alive specimens in the field using at most a magnification of 5x.

Version history

2009.03.14: Allacma fusca, Deuterosminthurus pallipes, Dicyrtoma fusca, Dicyrtomina ornata, Dicyrtomina saundersi, Entomobrya albocincta, Entomobrya intermedia, Hypogastrura purpurascens, Isotomurus palustris, Lepidocyrtus cyaneus, Monobella grassei, Neanura muscorum, Orchesella cincta, Orchesella villosa, Pogonognathellus flavescens, Pogonognathellus longicornis, Protaphorura armata, Tomocerus minor, Vertagopus arboreus from Cheshire, Derbyshire and Chadkirk by Shane Farrell.
2010.01.18: Dicyrtomina minuta from Bromley by David Henton-Jones.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank :
David Henton-Jones from Bromley, England, for his contribution on Dicyrtomina minuta.

Rationale

The rationale for taxa used and not used as well as subtaxonomic classification for some taxa is to be provided.

Key

Note that no distinction between subtaxa and taxa is made in the key.

    
1(0).   Body form elongate.......................................... 2
        Body form subglobular...................................... 15
 

2(1).   Legs long................................................... 3
        Legs short................................................. 12
 

3(2).   Body iridescent, covered with scales (fig.1)............... 4
        Body not iridescent, not covered with scales................ 7

Fig.1.
   
4(3).   Antennae long............................................... 5
        Antennae short (fig.2).................. Lepidocyrtus cyaneus

Fig.2.
   
5(4).   Body iridescent uniform bluish (fig.3)....... Tomocerus minor
        Body iridescent uniform greyish............................. 6

Fig.3.
   
6(5).   Antennae longer than body (fig.4)............................
           .............................. Pogonognathellus longicornis
        Antennae shorter than body (fig.5)...........................
           ............................... Pogonognathellus flavescens

Fig.4.
  

Fig.5.
   
7(3).   Body colour not uniform, but with pigmentation pattern; body
          with short and long setae................................. 8
        Body colour uniform blue; body with dens cover of short setae
          (fig.6)................................. Vertagopus arboreus

Fig.6.
   
8(7).   Body with few long dorsal setae (fig.7).. Isotomurus palustris
        Body with many long dorsal setae............................ 9

Fig.7.
   
9(8).   Basal two antennal segments not subdivided; body setae
          numerous; antennae with 4 segments....................... 10
        Basal two antennal segments subdivided (fig.8); body setae
          very numerous; antennae with 6 segments.................. 11

Fig.8.
   
10(9).  Body pigmentation pattern in distinct transversal bands
          (fig.9)............................... Entomobrya albocincta
        Body pigmentation pattern patchy in longitudinal bands
          (fig.10)............................... Entomobrya intermedia

Fig.9.
  

Fig.10.
   
11(9).  Body pigmentation pattern in distinct transversal bands
          (fig.11)................................... Orchesella cincta
        Body pigmentation pattern in random patches (fig.12)...........
           ........................................ Orchesella villosa

Fig.11.
  

Fig.12.
   
12(2).  Body with tubercles; body setae long....................... 13
        Body without tubercles; body setae short................... 14
 

13(12). Body colour uniform bluish (fig.13).......... Neanura muscorum
        Body colour uniform yellowish (fig.14)...... Monobella grassei

Fig.13.
  

Fig.14.
   
14(12). Body colour uniform purplish (fig.15); eyes present...........
           ................................. Hypogastrura purpurescens
        Body colour uniform whitish (fig.16); eyes absent.............
           ....................................... Protaphorura armata

Fig.15.
  

Fig.16.
   
15(1).  Body colour patchy yellow-brown............................ 16
        Body colour uniform........................................ 19
 

16(15). Dorsum of trunk anteriorly with broad yellowish area (fig.17).
           ........................................ Dicyrtomina minuta
        Dorsum of trunk anteriorly with narrow longitudinal stripe. 17

Fig.17.
   
17(16). Longitudinal stripe more dark than surrounding pigment
          (fig.18).................................... Dicyrtoma fusca 1
        Longitudinal stripe more pale than surrounding pigment..... 18

Fig.18.
   
18(17). Dorsal posterior patch multi barred cross shaped (fig.19).....
           ..................................... Dicyrtomina saundersi
        Dorsal posterior patch solid rectangular (fig.20).............
           ........................................ Dicyrtomina ornata

Fig.19.
  

Fig.20.
   
19(15). Body colour uniform black-purple (fig.21).....................
           ................................ Deuterosminthurus pallipes
        Body colour uniform brown.................................. 20

Fig.21.
   
20(19). Body colour brown matt (fig.22)............... Dicyrtoma fusca
        Body colour brown shiny (fig.23)................ Allacma fusca

Fig.22.
  

Fig.23.
  

Endnotes

1 Colour variant with distinct longitudinal anterior middorsal dark stripe.

Differential diagnoses

Allacma fusca
Body colour uniform. Body colour brown shiny (fig.23). Body colour uniform brown. Body form subglobular.

Deuterosminthurus pallipes
Body colour uniform. Body colour uniform black-purple (fig.21). Body form subglobular.

Dicyrtoma fusca
Body colour uniform. Body colour brown matt (fig.22). Body colour uniform brown. Body form subglobular.

Dicyrtoma fusca 1
Body colour patchy yellow-brown. Body form subglobular. Dorsum of trunk anteriorly with narrow longitudinal stripe. Longitudinal stripe more dark than surrounding pigment (fig.18).

Dicyrtomina minuta
Body colour patchy yellow-brown. Body form subglobular. Dorsum of trunk anteriorly with broad yellowish area (fig.17).

Dicyrtomina ornata
Body colour patchy yellow-brown. Body form subglobular. Dorsal posterior patch solid rectangular (fig.20). Dorsum of trunk anteriorly with narrow longitudinal stripe. Longitudinal stripe more pale than surrounding pigment.

Dicyrtomina saundersi
Body colour patchy yellow-brown. Body form subglobular. Dorsal posterior patch multi barred cross shaped (fig.19). Dorsum of trunk anteriorly with narrow longitudinal stripe. Longitudinal stripe more pale than surrounding pigment.

Entomobrya albocincta
Antennae with 4 segments. Basal two antennal segments not subdivided. Body not iridescent, not covered with scales. Body colour not uniform, but with pigmentation pattern. Body form elongate. Body pigmentation pattern in distinct transversal bands (fig.9). Body setae numerous. Body with short and long setae. Body with many long dorsal setae. Legs long.

Entomobrya intermedia
Antennae with 4 segments. Basal two antennal segments not subdivided. Body not iridescent, not covered with scales. Body colour not uniform, but with pigmentation pattern. Body form elongate. Body pigmentation pattern patchy in longitudinal bands (fig.10). Body setae numerous. Body with short and long setae. Body with many long dorsal setae. Legs long.

Hypogastrura purpurescens
Body without tubercles. Body colour uniform purplish (fig.15). Body form elongate. Body setae short. Eyes present. Legs short.

Isotomurus palustris
Body not iridescent, not covered with scales. Body colour not uniform, but with pigmentation pattern. Body form elongate. Body with short and long setae. Body with few long dorsal setae (fig.7). Legs long.

Lepidocyrtus cyaneus
Antennae short (fig.2). Body iridescent, covered with scales (fig.1). Body form elongate. Legs long.

Monobella grassei
Body with tubercles. Body colour uniform yellowish (fig.14). Body form elongate. Body setae long. Legs short.

Neanura muscorum
Body with tubercles. Body colour uniform bluish (fig.13). Body form elongate. Body setae long. Legs short.

Orchesella cincta
Antennae with 6 segments. Basal two antennal segments subdivided (fig.8). Body not iridescent, not covered with scales. Body colour not uniform, but with pigmentation pattern. Body form elongate. Body pigmentation pattern in distinct transversal bands (fig.11). Body setae very numerous. Body with short and long setae. Body with many long dorsal setae. Legs long.

Orchesella villosa
Antennae with 6 segments. Basal two antennal segments subdivided (fig.8). Body not iridescent, not covered with scales. Body colour not uniform, but with pigmentation pattern. Body form elongate. Body pigmentation pattern in random patches (fig.12). Body setae very numerous. Body with short and long setae. Body with many long dorsal setae. Legs long.

Pogonognathellus flavescens
Antennae long. Antennae shorter than body (fig.5). Body iridescent, covered with scales (fig.1). Body form elongate. Body iridescent uniform greyish. Legs long.

Pogonognathellus longicornis
Antennae long. Antennae longer than body (fig.4). Body iridescent, covered with scales (fig.1). Body form elongate. Body iridescent uniform greyish. Legs long.

Protaphorura armata
Body without tubercles. Body colour uniform whitish (fig.16). Body form elongate. Body setae short. Eyes absent. Legs short.

Tomocerus minor
Antennae long. Body iridescent, covered with scales (fig.1). Body form elongate. Body iridescent uniform bluish (fig.3). Legs long.

Vertagopus arboreus
Body not iridescent, not covered with scales. Body colour uniform blue. Body form elongate. Body with dens cover of short setae (fig.6). Legs long.

References