APPENDIX I 

 THE COLLEMBOLA 



By W. MALDWYN DAVIES 



The Collembola, probably more than any other order of insects, provide excellent 

 material for the study of geographical distribution and its allied aspects. The absence of 

 wings in this primitive order restricts migration and the delicate integument makes it 

 extremely unlikely that these insects are carried by sea any appreciable distance. The 

 discovery of identical, or allied, species on widely separated tracts of land, particularly 

 islands, thus affords strong evidence of land connection. Humidity alone is the limiting 

 meteorological factor, for ranges of temperature from the ice of Spitzbergen to the 

 tropical heat of West Africa afford no barrier to this order. There is no doubt that if 

 greater attention were paid to the methods and extent of collection of Collembola — • 

 insects which normally would be overlooked by collectors — the effort would be fully 

 compensated by the results. 



Our knowledge of Antarctic Collembola has been derived from collections made by 

 the expeditions of the 'Belgica' (1897-9), the Swedish Expedition (1901-3), the 

 'Southern Cross' (1898-1900), the 'Scotia' (1902-4), the 'Discovery' (1901-4) and 

 the 'Terra Nova' (1910). In addition Schaffer (1897) described several species from 

 Tierra del Fuego. I wish, therefore, to thank Dr Kemp and Mr D. Dilwyn John for 

 this opportunity of examining further examples of the Collembola collected by the 

 'Discovery H' in 1933. 



The Collembola collected by this recent expedition were all the same species, namely 

 Cryptopygus antarcticus. Will. The specimens were obtained from Michelsen Island, 

 where enormous numbers occurred under stones in and near the penguin rookery; 

 from Sandefjord Bay, Coronation Island, where a few were taken in moss and algae; 

 from Signy Island, where they were common under stones on the coast and in small 

 numbers at 600 feet; from Wilton Bay, Laurie Island, where they were found in 

 crevices on the rock face at fifty feet above the sea; and from Beach Point, Thule Island, 

 South Sandwich Islands, where specimens were taken in the washings from algae. It 

 is of interest to record that, despite search, no Collembola were found in the cleavage 

 cracks or under stones on the Inaccessible Islands, South Orkneys. 



Willem (1902) originally described Cryptopygus antarcticus from Danco Land and the 

 islands August, Harry, Brabant, Cavelier de Caverville, Bob and Wiencke. Subse- 

 quently it has been recorded by Wahlgren (1906) from South Georgia, the South 

 Shetlands, Graham Land and Paulet Island while Carpenter (1906) has described it 

 (probably) as Cryplopvgus crassus, Carp., from Saddle Island and Laurie Island. 



A detailed description with figures of Cryptopygus antarcticus. Will., is given in 

 Willem's work (1902). One character, however, has been the subject of correction. 



