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Talitroides topitotum

soniabutler1soniabutler1 Posts: 15
in Problem solving
I have just found theses in my borders do they do any harm to plants or pets

Posts

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    I had no idea this creature existed. Whether it is what you identified it as, or some other similar leaf-litter dwelling beastie, it will probably just eat decaying vegetation and leaf litter, doing no harm at all.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    If you’re in the UK I rather think you’ve found  Springtails …  https://www.naturespot.org.uk/taxonomy/term/19503  
    common invertebrates found in leaf litter in woods and gardens and harmless to man, beast and plants. 😊 

    Talitroides topitotum are found in Sri Lanka, Java, Australia etc, not in the UK as far as I’m aware. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Dove, this post sent me down a bit of a rabbit-hole and they have in fact been reported in the UK, bizarrely!
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Goodness me!  Fancy that @Loxley … I s’pose that’s globalisation for us.  
    It’s still more likely that the questioner has found springtails tho’ … unless they’ve been ID’d by the Natural History Museum or similar, don’t you think? 🤔 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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