New Dutch insect species discovery

Translated from the Dutch EIS entomologists:

New Dutch species discovered by chance: zebra springtail

Monday, December 23, 2013

Sometimes species new for the Netherlands are discovered by accident. Eg, the zebra springtail. Nature photographer André den Ouden found on a picture of a blue-winged grasshopper a weird little ball. Springtail specialist Matty Berg concluded: a zebra springtail, not previously encountered in the Netherlands.

On July 23, 2013 nature photographer André den Ouden scoured the railway yard of Molenhoek in Limburg, in search of the rare slender blue-winged grasshopper. He failed in his mission, so he made some pictures of the blue-winged grasshopper, which is present in large numbers there.

At home, he saw on one of the pictures a tiny spherical creature at the foot of the grasshopper.

Fasciosminthurus quinquefasciatus is the name of this newly discovered small springtail. Dutch name: zebraspringstaart, zebra springtail, because of its stripes.

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