17 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

The past year been breeding springtails. They aren't the typical ones that like moisture, in fact they hate damp environments. Any time the enclosure gets wet, they all move to a dry area. They actually thrive in dryness.

 

It began when I had a bunch of dirt filled containers that I put in a large plastic storage bin. I didn't even know there was anything in there. Well, it was literally a year later (so not a single hint of water during that time, and in a hot dry garage)...I had to get something out of it. Turns out, there was tens of thousands of springtails that had bred with each other and were all over. They were jumping around and really fast. Elongated with a soft exoskeleton (squished easily if caught). Which those features crossed off any chance of mites (which are more circular in shape anyway, and definitely don't jump).

 

So, I moved them into a smaller plastic container, filled with dry raspberry leaves, peat moss and random stuff (hamster food, cat food and some vegetables).

 

Well, now there is probably easily close to 100,000 of them in there if not more. Most I can't really see that well and when I go through the raspberry leaves still can't really see. So I might have a lot more than I think. They are pretty small (normal for springtails), and I added a lot of raspberry leaf substrate to it to begin with. I don't really know the best way to actually find them with all the stuff I added, but I know on the very bottom there are so many.

 

I even added some to my Pogonomyrmex rugosus enclosure and there are probably thousands of them in there as well. The Pogonomyrmex aren't bothered by them, and they've been living with them since I got my Pogonomyrmex colony. For a bit, mold had grown but the springtails ate it really quick. I put some food in there that had molded, and a week or two later the mold was completely gone.

 

No idea what kind of springtail they are. Because, any time I research dry climate springtails I can't find anything.They are 100% not mites...unless there is some type of rare mite that is long, jumps, fast and elongated body. But, everything I research about springtails is they like damp/humid environments. These ones are the opposite, they don't like damp/humid environments and love dryness. They can go for a year without a hint of water, and still thrive. And I can't find any site that has anything on a dry climate springtail.

 

I know I've seen them outside, in arid-land environments mostly. Never seen them in the desert. They stay away from watered areas where the sprinklers are though. But usually I see them under rocks on the dirt trails, when I'm looking for queen ants. They'll be under a rock, I lift the rock up (looking for ants) and then they move really quick and/or jump away. They are pretty fast.

 

Anyone know of any types of springtails that prefer and thrive in dryness? Because I've googled a lot, and its always about ones that live in damp areas or need humidity.

 

Edited by Vendayn, December 11 2016 - 10:00 PM.

[Vendayn]

Also, I put this here because its more a general thing about me breeding them. Its not just an ID request thread, and I'm not looking for a specific species anyway. Plus no way am I getting pictures of something that small lol. No one likes going to an ID thread to find no pictures. Just a general information on any springtails that happen to like/thrive in dryness. I can't find anything at all in google, which tells me these are really rare. Everything is always about springtails needing a lot of moisture. Obviously, not the case with mine.

 

I'm actually partly maybe hoping to sell them too, hence why I put the thread here. I dunno how many would want to buy them or what it would take. Would I need a permit or something? No idea. I looked on google and one site is selling cultures of them. Is he doing it legally? Did he get a permit? Do you even need one? No idea lol.

 

I don't even know if it would even be worth it to sell them anyway. It doesn't seem to be a thing that many people would buy, and unless it was worth it and it be a semi-popular product, I'll probably just breed them for myself.

[drtrmiller]

I'd buy some. A permit is not required to send or receive because they don't harm plants or plant products.

Edited by drtrmiller, November 19 2016 - 4:47 AM.

[Kevin]

Me too, I can't find any springtails around here.

[dspdrew]

There are some springtails that thrive in dry environments. I had a bunch living in my Pogonomyrmex rugosus tank for a while. I started looking online and found out about them. There are also booklice that live in dry environments too. I have those in almost every ant enclosure here. I also started a culture of them.

 

Are these springtails of yours like a silvery dark grey, almost black?

[Vendayn]

Booklice might be more what I have, they look pretty similar. Didn't even think of that at all. Pretty sure I've seen mine jump a little though, but maybe they just move really fast and they are small so it looks like they jump.  My eyes aren't as good as they used to be sadly. 

 

They are tan in color (not white). Kinda transparent, though I think they might be striped, which coincides with booklice that I see on google. Too small to easily see that specific detail though. Pretty much no other color to them.

 

Either way, booklice at least eat pretty much same things springtails do, if that is what they are. 

 

And it does look actually like I might actually be breeding booklice, not actual springtails. But again, they look kinda similar. Oh well if so, they are still just as good from what I read on them.

Edited by Vendayn, November 19 2016 - 3:16 PM.

[dspdrew]

Sounds like it's booklice. They seem to hate any wet food, but once it dries up they go nuts over it.

[Vendayn]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they are booklice the more I read up on them. They are harmless though like springtails. There are tons in my Pogonomyrmex rugosus formicarium and they don't even bother the workers. All they do is eat mold and garbage, just like springtails would.

 

And noticed they don't like wet food. They (at least the species I have) tend to not like anything wet really. They all come out if I mist their culture, and get on the sides of the container to escape. I figure since they lived a year without a hint of water, that I probably just won't give them water, but maybe rarely. I had some in my termite enclosure, but I think its too humid and wet for them in there, so they died off or just left entirely in that particular one.

 

I know there are some frogs that eat springtails, but are there anything (like frogs/lizards etc) that will eat booklice? I can't find much about that, but don't have much time to look tonight with guests over. One reason I was breeding them, is if I want to keep stuff other than ants, they'd have made a good food source. But, that was originally for springtails and I'm almost positive they are booklice. So, I dunno what eats them if anything. At the very least, at least they keep my formicariums nice and clean.

[dspdrew]

I actually add booklice to all my ant colonies to keep the out worlds clean. I had a huge culture of them, and one day I looked and there wasn't a single one moving around anymore. Not sure why they all suddenly died, but I think they probably went too long without a water source. As much as they love really dry conditions, they obviously still need to drink something.

[Vendayn]

There were quite a lot of tiny caterpillars and one dead (very small) moth in a container full of ground oat. The caterpillars had made silk all over the oats, so some of the oats were stuck in clumps. The caterpillars, while really small, have very visible, very long (for their size) white hairs.

 

Seeing that the caterpillars thrive in dry conditions, like the booklice I'm raising. I emptied out all the oats that were in the container into my booklice culture. The container they are in is pretty big, so lots of room for both. Not entirely sure what the caterpillars eat (besides oat), but there is a lot of different food in there. Plus, I added a lot of dry, ground raspberry leaves and I'm sure caterpillars of any kind love raspberry leaves.

 

That should eventually produce enough caterpillars to help feed my Pogonomyrmex rugosus colony, and maybe another species if I decide to expand my collection. Though, it didn't seem like my Pogonomyrmex rugosus were too interested in the few caterpillars I put in their formicarium. Hopefully they are something they'll eat.

Edited by Vendayn, December 11 2016 - 10:00 PM.

[Vendayn]

Also, the moth (which I lost sadly), was kind of a brownish grey color. Very small, and I see them all the time. Very common. I've also seen them lay eggs in oats before (nothing else we keep in the apartment, just oats), but I never kept them.

[dspdrew]

I think I had those same caterpillars all over in my Acromyrmex substrate too.

[Vendayn]

I think I had those same caterpillars all over in my Acromyrmex substrate too.

I think I remember reading that. What did you end up doing with them? Did any of your other ants eat them or are they not something that ants like to eat?

[dspdrew]

I killed them in the freezer.

[Loops117]

I'd buy some cultures. Springtails and Booklice.

[Vendayn]

As a heads up for the booklice. I won't be selling any until Spring, since I want the culture to grow. They do bred really quick though, but I still want to wait. Plus I need to figure out how to send them properly so they don't just die during the shipping.

 

My first culture actually died from not enough airflow and too much humidity. This species definitely thrives in dryness (with a lot of airflow available), with maybe just a water source available. But, when I first realized I was breeding them (by accident), they had lived in this plastic storage bin for over 6 months without a hint of water. Luckily I was able to just replace the culture with a bunch more, and they are doing a lot better.

 

Still, for those looking for some. You'll have to wait till Spring. Again, also don't want to ship them and they end up dead when they arrive. 

 

On the bright side, in proper conditions, they only stay on the substrate. They never even try to climb up or anything. The only time they do, is when their enclosure is too wet/humid. That could pose a problem for some formicariums that are not as dry, since this species doesn't seem to like moisture at all. They only stay in the dry areas. So, that will be something to take into account.

[Loops117]

Hmm, i have to find out were i can get cultures of this stuff.

[Vendayn]

On Amazon, there is a 32 oz culture of springtails for sell for a little over 17 dollars. More typical wet/humid species the guy is selling.

 

Otherwise, can find them outside. Though, they must be just hard enough to find that they can be sold on places like Amazon.