Lathriopyga longiseta is a highly distinctive purple collembolan (Fig. 1) known as Neanura hystrix in earlier literature. The body setae are very long (Figs. 2, 3), there are two ocelli on each side of the head and there is no furca. Lathriopyga longiseta has been found recently in several sites including damp woodland and ornamental gardens and is likely to be present throughout the West Country. In September 2003, I found several specimens on the underside of fallen branches on the ground at Trengwainton Gardens (National Trust) in West Cornwall.

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Fig. 1 (above): Lathriopyga longiseta (1.5 mm in length) collected on 31 March 2000 from Marsland Valley near Hartland, N. Devon.

Fig. 2 (above): Lathriopyga longiseta preserved in 70% alcohol. The green box indicates the region of the body shown in a different specimen in Fig. 3. Note the long setae on the body. This individual was collected from Abbotsbury Gardens, Dorset in April 1996.

Fig. 3 (above): Lathriopyga longiseta collected from Goodstone Woods, Devon in May 1959 by W. Maxwell. The setae on the body are about twice as long as the length of the first abdominal segment (abd1).