Springtails

Mick Bajcar

At long last I have found a reliable method of culturing Springtails. These tiny insects, which are essential for raising newly metamorphosed Mantellas and the like, can be unpredictable to culture in any quantity. They seem to do best on a fibrous medium, and the best I have discovered is tree fern root. Unfortunately, I have never found this for sale in this country (Britain), but I begged a piece from Andrew Clements who had bought some while in Holland.

The root is thoroughly soaked then placed in a margarine tub with a sealed lid. Springtails are added along with a little flake fish food. Kept warm, they multiply rapidly, and can be removed simply by tapping the piece of root. It is best to set up a new culture every three months or so, as cultures tend to crash. This is presumably due to the build-up of some form of toxin. The old culture medium (the fern root) can be re-used if washed thoroughly. This method is simple and reliable and, perhaps best of all; the insects are extracted from the culture easily.

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... I have to agree with Mick. Tree fern trunk (it's the rhizomatious stem of the tree fern which produces the fibrous material, although root tissue does pass through it) is a very good medium. My relatives in New Zealand tell me horrendous tales of acres of these beautiful plants being bulldozed to provide ground for houses. While at Maarn this year I gritted my teeth, put conservation out of my mind for a moment and bought a three-foot (90cms) length of tree fern. Cut into thin slices, it forms an excellent basis for Springtails. I use moss/sedge peat in a 50:50 mix in a polystyrene tub with the tree fern lying on top. I sprinkle TetraMin fish food onto the surface and this maintains the colony very well. As I keep small frog species, it is ideal food, which they all take - seemingly in preference to most other foods. For babies they are often essential.

I did have a chat with some of the Dutch frog breeders, and they seem to maintain their cultures in large containers, feeding them on boiled potato while not using tree fern at all. While on the subject, I will soon be writing to Willem Neeleman who can supply me with contacts from whom tree fern medium can be obtained. I will let you know the result.

John Skillcorn