Swarming hypogasturid springtails in Tanzania Photograph courtesy of Hamish Robertson, South African Museum

The Hypogasturid Springtails (Collembola: Hypogasturidae) of South Africa Compiled by Penelope Greenslade CSIRO Division of Entomology, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

Members of this family are terrestrial, found in numerous habitats (soil, under bark, seashore, mushroom beds).

Family: HYPOGASTURIDAE

1. Genus: HYPOGASTRURA
   1. H. armata (Nicolet)

      Achorutes armatus Nicolet 1841 [1842]: 57

      Recorded by Womersley (1934), Paclt 1967, Paclt (1959).
      A number of localities including Ichanga KwaZulu-Natal, Gordonia C.P, Stellenbosch C.P., Cape Town. [Probably misidentified.]

      
      
   2. H. longispina (Tullberg)

      Achorutes longispinus Tullberg 1876

      Recorded by Womersley 1934.
      Ichanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Langklip Siding, Gordonia.

      
      
   3. H. purpurescens (Tullberg)

      Achorutes purpurescens Tullberg 1868: **

      = Hypogastrura pseudopurpurascens Womersley 1928

      Recorded by Womersley 1934, Paclt 1967, Paclt (1959).
      Cape Town, Paarl, Cape Province

      
      
   4. H. viatica (Tullberg)

      Achorutes viaticus Tullberg 1872: **

      Recorded by Womersley 1934, Paclt (1959).
      Cape Town.

      
      
   5. H. manubrialis (Tullberg)

      Achorutes manubrialis Tullberg 1869: **

      Achorutes manubrialis neglectus Börner 1901: **

      Recorded by Womersley 1934, Paclt 1967, Paclt (1959)
      Kimberley, Elsenberg, Rondebosch, Stellenbosch, Durban.

      
      
   6. H. neglectus Börner

      Hypogastrura neglectus Börner 1901: **

      Recorded by Womersley 1934
      Stellenbosch.

      
      
   7. H. sahlbergi rosea (Reuter)

      Achorutes sahlbergi var rosea Reuter 1895: **

      Recorded by Womersley 1934, Paclt 1967, Paclt (1959).
      Lions Head, Cape Town, Tanzania

      
      
   
   
2. Genus: XENYLLA
   1. X. schillei Börner

      Xenylla schillei Börner 1903

      Paclt (1959).
      Lesotho.

      
      
   2. X. maritima Tullberg

      Xenylla maritima Tullberg 1869

      Recorded by Womersley 1934, Paclt 1967, Paclt (1959).
      Cape Town, Stellenbocsh, Fish Hoek, Hout Bay. plus numerous other localities

      
      
   3. X. capensis Weiner and Najt

      Xenylla capensis Weiner and Najt 1991

      Saasveld, nr George, subtropical indigenous forest, pitfalls, 17.xii.86-17.i.87, V. Nicolai

      Hototype female, paratypes 2 males, 3 females, 6 juv, (ISEA), paratypes 2 females, 1 male, 2 juv (MNHN).

      
      
   4. X. gisini Cardoso

      Xenylla gisini Cardoso

      Recorded from Mozambique and may therefore occur in South Africa.

      
      
   
   
3. Genus: MESOGASTRURA
   1. M. libyca (Caroli)

      Mesogastrura libyca (Caroli 1914)

      Choreutinula libyca (Caroli 1914)

      Paclt (1959).
      Cape Peninsula

      
      
   
   
4. Genus: CHOREUTINULA
   1. C. lobata Yosii

      Choreutinula lobata Yosii 1959

      Table Mountain (Yosii 1959).

      
      
   
   
5. Genus: ACHERONTIELLA
   1. A. thibaudi Barra

      Acherontiella thibaudi Barra 1994.

      Sodwana Bay National Park, KwaZulu-Natal, 300 km N of Durban, foot of the dune at top of beach, humid sand at 20 cm depth, under low pioneer vegetation.
      Holotype male and one paratype female male in Royal Museum of Central Africa at Tervuren, Belgium, paratype male at MNHN, Paris, other paratypes with Barra.