- Sminthurus viridis
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Sminthurus viridis 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Order: Collembola Family: Sminthuridae Genus: Sminthurus Species: S. viridis Binomial name Sminthurus viridis
(Linnaeus, 1758)Sminthurus viridis, the clover springtail or lucerne flea, is a hexapod belonging to the order Collembola (the springtails). It is bright green with a roughly spherical body and often swarms in large numbers on living plants, especially Fabaceae including alfalfa (which is sometimes called lucerne, hence the first part of the common name). The second part of the common name is misleading as this species is not even remotely related to the fleas but was given for its jumping ability and its tiny size (in fact the lucerne flea is considerably smaller even than most true fleas, rarely exceeding 1 mm in length).[1]
The species has been accidentally introduced to Australia, where it considered a pest.[2][3]
References
- ^ Chinery, Michael (1986, reprinted 1991). Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe. ISBN 0-00-219170-9.
- ^ "PestWeb - Lucerne Flea". www.agric.wa.gov.au/. http://agspsrv34.agric.wa.gov.au/ento/pestweb/Query1_1.idc?ID=1273892568. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ^ "Collembola - springtails". http://www.ento.csiro.au/ CSIRO. http://www.ento.csiro.au/education/hexapods/collembola.html. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
Categories:- Collembola
- Animals described in 1758
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