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Hypogastrura species ("Snow Fleas") in Howard Co., Maryland (3/12/2015). Photographer comments: "With snow still on the ground, most insects are hard to find. But a spring sun on melting snow will produce Snow Fleas by the millions. Snow Fleas are small (1 mm) but their dark-purple color appears black against the snow or anything else that is light-colored. Snow Fleas are not true fleas but Collembola (Springtails) which are considered insects by some; but most likely deserve an Order Rank of their own. Snow Fleas are adapted to the cold and if you are going to find them this is the time to do so. Once it warms up they will be gone. This species feeds on fungus spores and algae that they find on the surface/sub-surface of the snow or on the immediate surroundings. They are considered pests of fresh maple sap when they become too numerous in the collecting buckets. Snow Fleas are usually listed in the literature as Hypogastrura nivicola but it requires microscopic examination to separate this species from Hypogastrura harvey. So, until I get around to collecting a couple for examination, I will have to settle for not putting a species name on them. Order: Collembola, Family: Hypogastruridae, Genus: Hypogastrura, Species: nivicola or harvey. Of course you can, like everyone else, just call them Snow Fleas." Photo by
Richard Orr. (
MBP list)
Hypogastrura species in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/12/2015). Determined by Frans Janssens/BugGuide. Photo by
Steve Scholnick. (
MBP list)
A Hypogastrura species in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/26/2021). Determined by Frans Janssens/BugGuide. Photo by
Jim Moore. (
MBP list)
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Synonyms: Snow Flea.
