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Event

Springtails – a beginners guide

17th September 2022 | 10:00 – 16:00

Springtails – a beginners guide
A table showing the details of the Springtails – a beginners guide event
Venue:Herefordshire Archive and Records Centre
Address:Fir Tree Lane, Rotherwas HR2 6LA
Tutor:Pete Boardman
Cost:Free

Contact:Tim Kaye

In an introduction to the springtails (Collembola) we will be looking at a few of the 250 UK species to get a feel for how to find them in the field following an introductory talk by entomologist Pete Boardman. Pete set up the Shropshire springtail recording scheme which took the county springtail record numbers from a handful to a few thousand and the number of species to just under 100 at the time of writing, including a new species to Great Britain. Springtails are very small invertebrates but macro-photography has revolutionised the study of this fascinating group. We will look at live specimens in the field using hand lenses (x10 is ample) and a few preserved specimens under the microscope inside. By the end of the course you will be aware of a variety of different species, springtail ecology, and where to look for them.
Pete has worked as an entomologist and educator for the past two decades, and currently works for Natural England encouraging and supporting Citizen Science. He is national recorder for craneflies, has named 24 new species to science from Africa and Europe, and once saw a slug eating a chip.

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