Vertagopus Identification Guide

This is a very common genus of arboreal springtails with only two British species. They have no macrosetae but a fuzzy cover of short setae; clavate (forked) setae by the feet (for climbing trees).


Vertagopus arboreus:
- blus iridescence (in natural light, can be hard to see in artificial light)
- pale legs
- relatively short furca
- juveniles are violet in colour:





Specimen with damaged antennae:




Vertagopus cinereus:
- legs darker than Vertagopus arboreus and lacks blue iridescence
- shorter furcula than V. arboreus.
- On the ventral side of the thorax, 3-10 + 3-10 setae on each of th2 and th3, and a group of 5-12 ventral setae on the second abdominal segment (abd2). V. arboreus does NOT possess ventral setae on th2, th3 or abd2: