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Bugs in soil please help id

L

Laskar

New member
Hello,

I recently found this bugs in my pots and I'm having trouble to identify them, I first thought they might be root aphids but can't see any tail pipes/cornicles on their abdomen but maybe my usb microscope is not strong enough. Here's a video of them.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6h26zg

Just hope it's not root aphids as I know they're a pain to get rid of, any id and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks

Laskar
 
AgentPothead

AgentPothead

Just this guy, ya know?
I am not good at bug identification, but I think you are correct that is a root aphid. It appears to have to pronounced of a head to be a mite, and it matches having 3 sets of legs and 2 forward facing antenna. One thing I'm noticing in google though is that "root aphids" seem to have striation on the body, where as the ones you have seem to be smooth, I don't know if that matters, but I have a feeling it might help in classification. Good luck man, reading into root aphids it seems to be a shitty thing to deal with.
 
L

Laskar

New member
Thanks for your replay Agentpothead, as you said they seem to be slightly different to the pics that I've seen in google and other sites. But it seems they may come in quite different colors and shapes so I really don't know. In the [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fungus gnats or WINGED ROOT APHIDS??? [/FONT]sticky people talk about the tail pipes coming out the abdomen as a way to identify them but can't see those. Here's another video.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6h2bob
 
A

Athos

Member
They look kind of big to be springtails since those are like 1 mm.

Anyway if you want to make sure, pass your finger over over the soil surface, if they are springtails they will jump; which is something I didn't see the ones in your video do.
 
AgentPothead

AgentPothead

Just this guy, ya know?
Based on that photo, I agree 100% with Athos. Check the undersides of your leaf not just the soil and if they are also there it's definitely those. If they are mostly on the roots and a winged version shows up it's probably those rice aphids from that page Athos linked.
 
L

Laskar

New member
Thanks again for your help. I've checked again, they're very tiny (less than a millimeter) you can barely see them with the eyes so I used a usb microscope and yes they do jump when disturbed, hope that's a good sign! They're mostly on the soil and can see some on the side of the pots when I water the plants. I've also checked the undersides of the leaves and haven't seen any there, no flyers either. In the pic Athos posted I can clearly see the tail pipes on the rear of the bug and the shape is slightly different than those I have.
 
L

Laskar

New member
I found this site on the net which makes me think they really look like springtails but please correct me if I'm wrong.

collembola017.jpg


http://www.janvanduinen.nl/collembolaengels.html
 
A

Athos

Member
Now that we all know that they are springtails; are they harmful? Should he get rid of them? How?
I'm interested in this too, since I found out I have them too.
 
MrBungle

MrBungle

Active member
They seem to thrive in moist conditions....Maybe trying to keep the top layer of soil dry?.. Maybe a top layer of diatomaceous earth?

Springtails don't do much.. Maybe chew on the root tendrils a little bit
 
AgentPothead

AgentPothead

Just this guy, ya know?
It might just be your video is out of focus, but I'm pretty sure springtails have hairs across their surface that stick out perpendicular and I'm not seeing any of those.
 
MrBungle

MrBungle

Active member
If you look closely the springtail's antennas are pointed to the side while hypoaspis miles point forward... you can see eyes, and a head that is moveable without moving the rest of the body on the springtail, the head of the hypoaspis miles is part of the body without a rotating neck...

Would be pretty lucky to have Hypoaspis Miles randomly invade your garden...People pay good money for those buggers!

I still say springtails
 
AgentPothead

AgentPothead

Just this guy, ya know?
I dunno man after going through that entire page Laskar linked up there, I am bouncing between Sminthurinus aureus and Bourletiella arvalis if you image search for both they appear roughly the same body shape and size, I'm just not sure about that coloring, but that page says Smithurinus aureus do come in different shades. https://www.janvanduinen.nl/sleutel/key042.php That is an awesome page btw so thanks for the link Laskar.
Apparently you are right MrBungle both of those are classified as springtails! They don't look anything at all like what I consider the traditional "springtail". Live and learn :D
 
Last edited:
Treetroit City

Treetroit City

Moderately Super
Veteran
All I get when I click that link is a "do not enter warning" so I can't comment on what is on it. All I know is I have springtails in every grow for the last 10 years and they look nothing like those so I will politely bow out. Good luck.
 
AgentPothead

AgentPothead

Just this guy, ya know?
That webhost didn't setup their TLS up correctly so https isn't working. You can remove the S after the http, but depending on your jurisdiction I might not recommend that. It's legal where I live so the cops have better things to do than worry about what webpages I visit.
 
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