Field and Swamp: Animals and Their Habitats

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Non-Insect, Non-Spider Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda, kingdom Animalia, domain Eukaryota)

These taxonomic classifications fascinate me. It takes humans, dogs, primates, moles, tapirs and mice, among many others, to make up a single class (Mammalia), but just centipedes to make another, and just springtails to make up yet another!

Elongate-bodied Springtails (Suborder Arthropleona, class Collembola, subphylum Hexapoda)

Springtails are not considered to be insects because of a forked appendage called the "furcula," kept under the abdomen and used to propel the springtail distances many times greater than its length.

Springtails are actually the easiest animals to find, in my experience. If you lay a watering can on its side on the ground for a while and then turn it over, they will appear on top. They are generally very tiny, typically 1 mm long or less. NOTE: The classification Suborder Arthropleona is used by the Iowa State Entomology Department.

Lower taxa IDs of photos taken prior to 2009 were provided by Frans Janssen.


Adult female and juvenile male springtails (Entomobrya atrocincta, family Entomobryidae), about 1 mm long, Durham, NC, 5/1/08	Adult female springtail (Entomobrya atrocincta, family Entomobryidae), Durham, NC, 5/13/08.	Subadult male springtail (Entomobrya atrocincta, family Entomobryidae), Durham, NC, 5/9/08.	Springtail (Tomocerus genus (maybe), Tomoceridae family), Durham, 6/30/08. This springtail was 2 or 3 mm long.	Springtail (Tomocerus genus, maybe), about 4 mm long. Durham, NC, 9/14/08


Springtail, on a flower, Durham, NC, 6/20/09	Springtail, Durham, NC, 7/13/07. It was about 1 mm long.	Springtail, showing one antennae and the two-forked furcula, normally kept tucked under the abdomen. Durham, NC, 11/25/09

Centipedes (class Chilopoda)

Scutigeromorpha order


I think this might be a member of a species of House Centipede

Scolopendromorpha order


Centipede, Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, NC, 11/03/07	Rural Chatham County, NC, 11/9/05. This very tiny centipede appeared under the bark of a dying tree.	Centipede, Durham, NC, 12/19/06

Millipedes (class Diplopoda)

Times have changed! I used to see Roly-polies (Pill Millipedes, order Glomerida) all the time, and now I can't remember the last time I saw any.

Spirobolida order


Millipede (family spirobolidae), Durham, 8/4/06	Millipede (Narceus americanus), Southern Village walking path, Orange County, NC, 7/20/07. The fly on top of the millipede followed it, landing in various different places on the millipede.	Eno River State Park, Old Cole Mill Road access, 11/7/05. This tiny probably immature millipede looked like a land-based Tubifex worm at a distance.

Polydesmidae order


Millipede (Sigmoria aberrans, family Xystodesmidae, Johnston's Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, NC, 8/25/05. This millipede species is found only in North Carolina and Virginia. They pop up in my neighborhood in Durham regularly but infrequently.	Millipede, Polydesmida order, Durham, NC, 11/9/07. At first glance, it looks like a centipede, though.

Pseudoscorpions (order Pseudoscorpiones, class Arachnida, subphylum Chelicerata)


Pseudoscorpion, Durham, NC, 8/25/09

Harvestmen (order Opiliones, class Arachnida, subphylum Chelicerata)

We used to call these "Daddy-long-legs" when I was a kid, but now that name is properly applied only to spiders.

Harvestman with prey, NC Botanical Garden, 7/2/05.

Mystery Arthropods


Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 12/12/05.	Durham, 12/19/05. Probably ½ inch long.