Folsomia candida (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) has been employed in hundreds of laboratory experiments as the 'standard' springtail. It is white with 0+0 ocelli and reaches a maximum length of 2.6 mm. The ratio of the length of the longest setae at the tip of the abdomen/length of mucro is between about 2.0 and 4.0 in British/Irish material. The manubrium has numerous (16-32) ventral (anterior) setae (Fig. 4). The dens has 20-40 ventral (anterior) setae and 7-10 dorsal (posterior) setae. The PAO is quite broad and is shorter than the width of ant1 (Fig. 5).
     Folsomia candida is a very common and widespread species which has been found in a variety of habitats including soil, caves and glasshouses. Several of the specimens in the NHML slide collection were captured in the Museum itself 'in flowerpots' and 'eating the Bogman'! It is common in accumulations of organic matter in my garden in Reading, and in the soil of plant pots inside the house.
     While working through the Folsomia material in the NHML collection, I discovered several misidentifications of Folsomia candida for Folsomia fimetaria and vice versa. A good character for separating the species is that Folsomia candida has 2+2 or 3+3 setae on the ventral side of the third thoracic segment (Fig. 6) whereas these are absent in Folsomia fimetaria.

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Folsomia candida from the Reading University culture.
Fig. 1 (above): Adult female (1.8 mm) with eggs.
Fig. 2 (left): Adult female (2.0 mm).
Fig. 3 (below): Adult females (2 mm in length) with juveniles.

Fig. 4: Folsomia candida collected from a flower pot in the Natural History Museum London in 1985 by M.N. Wetton. The manubrium (ma) and dens (d) have numerous ventral (anterior) setae.

Fig. 6: Ventral side of third thoracic segment of Folsomia candida collected from a flower pot in the Natural History Museum London in 1985 by M.N. Wetton. Folsomia candida has 2+2 (arrows) (or 3+3) setae in this position (these setae are absent from Folsomia fimetaria).

Fig. 5: Folsomia candida collected from 'Longships lighthouse', Cornwall in February 1941. The PAO is quite broad and is shorter than the width of the first antennal segment (ant1).