fig.1a
fig.1b
fig.1c
fig.2
fig.1a,b,c - stages of an adult e.collembis shell construction.
fig.2 - an example e.collembis camouflage in natural habitat.
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endoclausus collembis (camilo, 2009)
size: reaches maximum of around 20mm at rest (adult size) but can reach up 100mm at full stretch/elongation. shell size varies.
habitat: amongst leaf litter/forest floor debris, occasionaly in hollow/fallen trees. recently spotted with increasing regularity in urban areas, inside cracks in buildings and walls.
distribution: currently only spotted in the uk.
diet: primarily feeds on springtails that seek shelter in the moist crevices of the shell, and are plentyful amongst leaf litter. also known to take other suitably sized creatures such as newborn woodlice.
lifestyle: endoclausus collembis lives its life mainly hidden in a shell/cocoon of its own making. the shell is constructed from myriad pieces of forest floor debris such as fallen leaves, twigs and pieces of bark. they are held together by a mucus-like secretion produced by glands located on the main body surface. the secretion has adhesive qualities but dries hard. the body is very much like that of most terrestrial slugs (to which e.collembis is somewhat closely related to), in that when contracted it is rather solid but relaxes when outstretched, much like mammalian muscles.
another similarity between these and slugs is the technique employed for movement, that is rhythmic waves of muscular contraction and relaxation. however unlike slugs, e.collembis have only one set of reproductive organs per specimen. the female lays her eggs in her own shell that she has built up throughout her life, and then leaves. without a shell the female is vulnerable and exposed, and soon dies from dehydration or predation. in most wild population of e.collembis there is a female bias, and males are also on the whole smaller. their shells are usually not as elaborate or built-up, which allows them to move alot more freely in search of egg batches to fertilize. both males and females die soon after reproducing and do not live to see their own offspring. the fertilized eggs hatch in the spring, at which point the hatching e.collembis begin building their own shells. once e.collembis grows too big for its current shell, it will leave it and begin constructing a new one. to avoid dessication during this interim period, e.collembis will often wait for a night of heavy rain before leaving their current shell. however, many are still eaten by predators during the transition, making this a time of great danger.