Sminthurides schoetti is common and widespread. It is yellow in colour and usually has a band of blue pigment on either side of the body. Males reach 0.3 mm in length whereas females grow to 0.5 mm.
     In Sminthurides species, the male antenna is modified to grasp the female during mating and the long spine on the second antennal segment (ant2) is curved (Fig. 1). Females do not possess sub-anal appendages (SAA). In Sminthurides schoetti, the fourth antennal segment in the female is divided into four subsegments (Fig. 2). The lamellae on the mucro are striated only on the upper side and there is an indentation on the ventral side near to the tip (Figs. 3). A tibiotarsal organ (tt organ) is present on the third leg and the empodium of the foot has a long filament that reaches beyond the tip of the claw (Fig. 4).

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Fig. 1 (above): Antenna of a male Sminthurides schoetti collected from Cefn Bryn, Llanhidian in March 1962 by Peter Lawrence.

Fig. 2 (above): Antenna of a female Sminthurides schoetti collected from Cefn Bryn, Llanhidian in March 1962 by Peter Lawrence. The fourth antennal segment (ant4) is divided into four subsegments (1 to 4).

Fig. 3 (above): Distal furca of Sminthurides schoetti collected from Cefn Bryn, Llanhidian in March 1962 by Peter Lawrence.

Fig. 4 (above): Foot and tibiotarsus (tt) of the same specimen of Sminthurides schoetti shown in Fig. 3.