COLLEMBOLA > SYMPHYPLEONA > Katiannidae

Sminthurinus elegans could be considered a variant or further form of Sminthurinus aureus, but is currently treated as a separate species. Steve Hopkin's 'key' describes the two species as having the same morphological characters, but with Sminthurinus elegans being a little smaller at 0.7mm with a yellow, rather than variable, coloured body with two or four dark longitudinal bluish bands. However, a subsequent account of the species on his website confirms that Sminthurinus elegans should have four bands, here described as bluish-black, and that if a specimen is found with just two bands it should be called Sminthurinus signatus. To my knowledge, that variant has not been recorded in Britain.

These species occur in similar habitat, notably low vegetation and in leaf-litter, but with Sminthurinus elegans preferring drier locations than Sminthurinus aureus.

This particular individual, that I could barely see with the naked eye, was identified by one of the experts from the FB 'UK Collembola' group and was photographed on the rim of the garden waste bin in January, at the same time as the previous species. Even accounting for its very small size, I'm disappointed that the second photo is in such poor focus. I wasn't going to include it, but it does show the lower banding along the side that can't be seen in the other shot.