User:Jurajcech/Entomobrya

Entomobrya is a genus in the Collembola family Entomobryidae. This genus has a world-wide distribution. Like most Collembola, species of Entomobrya have a fork-like appendage called a furcula which they use to escape predators.

Entomobrya nivalis

Taxonomy

Current Classification

The Entomobrya were first described as a species by Rondani in 1861. This genus is in the subfamily Entomobryinae in the family Entomobryidae. It is a highly speciose genus. Chaetotaxy, or differences in hair size, shape, and location, are often used as characters to differentiate species.

List of Species

abrupta, adustata, affinis,afghanistanensis, aino, aipatse, akritohoriensis, albanica, albida, albocincta, ambigua, amethystina, aniwaniwaensis, aquatica, arborea, armeniensis, arnaudi, arula, arvensis, assuta, ataquensis, atra, atrocincta, aurantiaca, auricorpa, bauciana, bicolor, bidentata, bimaculata, boneti, brinevi, bruneicapilla, caerulea, carbonaria, cheni, chomolungmae, chooyuae, chungseensis, ciliata, clitellaria, coeruleopicta, colettae, comparata, confusa, corticalis, cuniculicola, decemfasciata, decora, depressa, disjuncta, divafusca, dorsalis, dorsolineata, dorsosignata, dumitrescuae, dungeri, duofascia, egleri, egmontia, elegans, ephippiaterga, erratica, exfoliata, extrema, fasciata, fimbaensis, fjellbergi, florulenta, germanica, gisini, glaciata, grassei, griseoolivata, handschini, himalayensis, hortensis, huangi, hurunuiensis, hutchinsoni, iberica, imitabilis, inaequalis, incerta, indica, inermis, infuscata, inquilina, intercolorata, interfilixa, intermedia, iraqensis, italica, japonica, jirisana, kabardinica, karasukensis, karlstetterae, kincaidi, koreana, kultinalensis, kuznetsovae, lamingtonensis, lampreyi, lanuginosa, laticlavia, lavata, lawrencei, leonensis, leucodesmia, lhotseae, ligata, linda, lindbergi, litigiosa, livida, longipes, longiseta, longisticta, luqueensis, luquei, maculata, magadani, makaluae, manii, margaretae, marginata, maritima, maroccana, mauretanica, melitensis, maxima, membranea, mesomelaina, mesopotamica, mieheorum, miljevici, minima, miniparva, minuta, monopunctata, montana, multifasciata, murreensis, muscorum, nana, naziridisi, nevadensis, nicoleti, nigralata, nigranota, nigraoculata, nigriceps, nigrina, nigrita, nigritella, nigriventris, nigrocincta, nivalis, nonfasciata, numidica, nyhusae, obensis, obscurella, obscuroculata, occulis, olivacea, opotikiensis, ozeana, palmensis, panoanoa, paroara, pazaristei, pekinensis, penicillata, philippinica, pilosa, pontica, powehi, primorica, proceraseta, processa, protrifasciata, proxima, pseudocoeruleopicta, pseudodecora, pseudolanuginosa, pulchella, pulcherrima, pulchra, pusilla, pygmaea, pyrenaica, quadrata, quadrilineata, quinquelineata, quinquemucronata, regularis, retingensis, rohtangensis, rubella, rubra, salta, sapporensis, saxatila, saxoniensis, schoetti, schulzi, secca, seychellarum, sibirica, simulans, sinelloides, spectabilis, stebaevae, stenonyx, striatella, strigata, styriaca, subcaucasica, superba, suzannae, taigicola, tasmanica, tenkyniensis, tenuicauda, termitophila, thalassicola, tokunagai, totapunctata, transversalis, triangularis, trifasciata, trilineata, troglodytes, troglophila, tupiana, turcestanica, tuvinica, uambae, unostrigata, vadelli, varia, variabila, variocolorata, venezolana, vergarensis, vigintiseta, villosa, violacea, violaceolineata, virescens, virgata, walkeri, washingtonia, wasmanni, wheeleri, wojtusiaki, womersleyi, xanthoderma, xerothermica, zaitzewi, zona

Ecology

Not much is known about the particular breeding cycle, diet, behavior, and microhabitat preferences of any individual species in the genus, however, some species are more thoroughly studied. In general, many Entomobrya live in the leaf litter and on bark in forests. They have internal mouthparts which help them eat bacteria and funguses off of the surfaces on which they live. Many Entomobrya species are gregarious, though it is not known whether this is because they prefer to live in groups or because this is an artefact them being drawn to the same limited resources. Some species prefer the more moist habitat that occurs under fallen leaves at the interface between the litter and the soil. Other species prefer rotting wood both under, and on top of, the bark.

Distribution

This genus, as some of the species names may suggest, can be found throughout the world. Individual species often span continents and even multiple continents. This is thought to be a result of individuals being swept up by weather, and because springtails are so light, carried across continents and oceans. There is also very little known about how often this occurs but it must occur frequently enough to maintain gene flow and keep the populations on opposite continents from becoming genetically isolated.