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I was aware that this yellow variety* of the species lived in our garden but had not seen it for a long time. Yesterday I saw three individuals withing a few minutes. Each one jumped of the rotten wood on which it was living before I could frame it. This one jumped onto a small mat on which I has set up my flash guns. The plastic threads are an unfortunate background but the variety of positions and angles of the springtail, as it walked and climbed around, were welcome.
The dark, zipper-like, midline mark on the posterior of the abdomen is diagnostic for the species. * This yellow form was how the species was originally described but other colour forms (images occasionally posted by Brian V) are now included.
The FOV was 7mm wide, all images are cropped moderately. Because of the wide angle perspective of the lens, I rarely close the diaphragm beyond f11 but f16 proved to be suitable this time.
Olympus EM-1 (manual mode), Leitz Wetzlar Photar 25mm f2.5 macro at f16, twin TTL flash, hand-held with support.
When I used to identify springtails under the microscope I often struggled to resolve the eyes (ocelli) so the success through the camera is satisfying. The tip of the springer can be seen pointing forwards, under the thorax, in the third and fourth images,
Harold
The dark, zipper-like, midline mark on the posterior of the abdomen is diagnostic for the species. * This yellow form was how the species was originally described but other colour forms (images occasionally posted by Brian V) are now included.
The FOV was 7mm wide, all images are cropped moderately. Because of the wide angle perspective of the lens, I rarely close the diaphragm beyond f11 but f16 proved to be suitable this time.
Olympus EM-1 (manual mode), Leitz Wetzlar Photar 25mm f2.5 macro at f16, twin TTL flash, hand-held with support.
When I used to identify springtails under the microscope I often struggled to resolve the eyes (ocelli) so the success through the camera is satisfying. The tip of the springer can be seen pointing forwards, under the thorax, in the third and fourth images,
Harold