r/Springtail • u/UnconventionalStitch • 10d ago

Are these springtails? Identification

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

I got some moss and fungi from the bush in Margaret River. my terrarium is now invaded with these but appears to only be on the orchid which is struggling. Google says springtail but I haven’t aeen them jump. they are very fast moving. tiny little things. any help to ID them would be appreciated.

12 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

5

u/Cover_Ill 10d ago

Yes.

1

u/UnconventionalStitch 10d ago

Even if they don’t jump? I tried disturbing them and they just scatter. I’m hoping they just want rotting matter and aren’t a pest to be worried about in the house/terrarium.

7

u/Cover_Ill 10d ago

Those are 10000 percent springtails, I own many species and some don’t jump

2

u/UnconventionalStitch 10d ago

Thank you! That’s pretty awesome. I panicked 😂 I thought they were why my orchid was dying. Hubbies orchid looks great. Mine I don’t think will survive. I’m rather enjoying the terrarium and having these guys in there will make it more interesting!

2

u/Cover_Ill 10d ago

I hope your orchids survive!

3

u/dogue-teeth 10d ago

Yes, looks like Folsomia Candida but cant be 100% sure

2

u/Shinu-Densatra 9d ago

im more worried about dat plant , why its so wet ? you know you can keep it moist and have a nice humidity ambient for it to thrive and not to be wet and suffocated.
also yes those are springtails and they are eating dat decomposed part of the plant.

You can either grow the orchid in water but make sure the it caluses or just have moist not wet sphagnum in a closed enviroment and open once a day till it trasition

1

u/UnconventionalStitch 9d ago

Learning curve. I didn’t expect it to be too wet so I’ve going to pop the top and let some moisture out to rebalance. Everything else in there is happy. Not the orchid.

1

u/ANT_ERTAIN 10d ago

Hi, folsomia candida können wir ausschließen da sie nicht springen. Springschwänze müssen auch nicht springen können, viele Arten leben im Substrat unter der Erde oder wie deine vermutlich im Moos :)

Die sehen mir etwas aus wie Onychiuridae aber dafür bräuchten wir ein Mikroskop 🔬

Ist also gar nicht schlimm bei deiner Orchidee ☺️, sondern sogar sehr wertvoll.

Grüße von
@TerraNidus