Hypogastrura distincta has not been recorded before from Britain or Ireland. However, specimens in the NHML material collected by Peter Lawrence labelled 'Hypogastrura tullbergi' from Torquay (mapped) from 'under orchids', and by M. Wetton from 'Wales attacking cucumbers' (frustratingly no locality information thus not mapped) exactly fit the description of this species given by Fjellberg (1998). Hypogastrura distincta is a member of the difficult group of Hypogastrura with three or four clavate tenant setae in two whorls (A and B) on the tibiotarsus of the third leg (tt3). Hypogastrura distincta has tt1 with three clavate tenant seta in the A row (Fig. 1), tt2 with three clavate tenant setae in the A row (Fig. 2), and tt3 with three clavate tenant setae in the A row and one clavate tenant seta in the B row (Fig. 3). The abdominal setae are of different lengths (macrosetae clearly PRESENT). There is also an obvious long clavate seta present on either side of the anal spines on abd6 (Figs. 4, 5). This species should clearly be looked for in cultivated soil, especially in plant pots. It has all the signs of an introduction and it is not clear whether it can survive out of doors.

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Fig. 1 (above) : Tibiotarsus of first leg of Hypogastrura distincta collected from Torquay in June 1967 by Peter Lawrence. There are three clavate setae in the A row (A1, A2, A3).

Fig. 4 (above) : Posterior abdomen of Hypogastrura distincta from the same specimen as that shown in Fig. 1. There are two long clavate setae (*) either side of the anal spines (as), the tips of which are broken off.

Fig. 2 (above) : Tibiotarsus of second leg of Hypogastrura distincta from the same specimen as that shown in Fig. 1. There are three clavate setae in the A row (A1, A2, A3).

Fig. 5 (above) : Lateral view of the sixth abdominal segment and anal spines of Hypogastrura distincta collected from 'Wales' in July 1987 by M. Wetton.  Note the long clavate seta (arrow).

Fig. 3 (above) : Tibiotarsus of thrid leg of Hypogastrura distincta from the same specimen as that shown in Fig. 1. There are three clavate setae in the A row (A1, A2, A3) and one clavate seta in the B row (B1).

Fig. 6 (above) : Furca and male genital plate (mgp) of Hypogastrura distincta from the same specimen as that shown in Fig. 1. A. anterior; P. posterior.