More invertebrates

Although the weather remains bitterly cold for April, my pitfall trap and half brick are proving moderately productive.

Under the brick I found a pill millipede, Glomeris marginata. This untypical millipede has the most extraordinary mating habits, described in detail in J. Gordon Blower's book Millipedes (1985) on page 58 (this can be read via Google Books). Blower also points out that this small animal has an extraordinarily long life - up to 11 years a fact that inspired the following remark: "Like the long-lived iteroparous ommatoiulines, Glomeris marginata shows marked fluctuations in abundance at any one site"

I also found a springtail, Orchesella villosa, in the pitfall trap, while the rove beetle also trapped here at the end of March is Sepedophilus marshami, probably widespread, but not very often recorded.