Micraphorura (formerly Archaphorura) absoloni is a small, soil-dwelling member of the Onychiurinae which reaches 0.9 mm in length. The anal spines are slender and straight (Fig. 1) and the post-antennal organ is small with three or four lobes (Fig. 2). Ribbed pseudocelli are present (Fig. 3) and the empodium of the foot reaches about two-thirds of the length of the claw (Fig. 4). There is no trace of a furca on the ventral side of the fourth abdominal segment. Micraphorura absoloni has a scattered distribution in England and Scotland but there are (as yet) no records from Wales or Ireland.
Fig. 1 (above): Anal spines of Micraphorura absoloni collected from Ferriby, Yorkshire in April 1937 by R.S. Bagnall.
Fig. 2 (left): Post-antennal organ (PAO) and two pseudocelli (pso) of Micraphorura absoloni collected from Corstophine, Scotland in April 1935 by R.S. Bagnall.
Fig. 4 (above): Foot of the third leg of the same specimen of Micraphorura absoloni shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 (above): Pseudocellus of the same specimen of Micraphorura absoloni shown in Fig. 2.
