From: Mike Feldman <>
>
> You folks have been great at bird, herp, and insect song IDs,
> but I'm wondering what this December hatching is. I noticed
> it from it's lavender color and thought they were seeds at
> first, but when the specs squirmed and jumped off my fingers
> I thought was really puzzled, especially this late in the
> Illinois autumn. I shot yesterday through a loupe, and there
> were still some left today, so I grabbed a 35mm lens and shot
> some vid clips through it backwards (optically, not in time).
>
> Anyone have any idea what they are? I fear they're termites.
These look to be the same species we have commonly around here. Usually
seen as a gray/purple area that gradually moves across our front walk or
parking area. Sometimes they can be spotted in the leaf litter, but it's
harder. Here they can turn up after rains anytime. They may cover a few
yards square at times.
I've some digital camera photos of them I took in August 1996. Using
some specialized micro photography lenses and a ringflash.
http://naturerecordist.home.mindspring.com/Springtails-8_10.jpg
The two brown "logs" in the photo are pine needles, that's the surface
of my sidewalk, very close up. I estimated the springtails at 1/72".
This is of a area out near the edge of the mass. And close to the max
magnification for the lens I was using.
They are definitely not termites. I've never ID'd the ones we have to
species, just assumed springtails.
They do make a audible sound when in mass.
Walt
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