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Poduromorpha · Hypogastruridae

Hypogastruridae sp. 'Purple Dust'

A hobby culture called Purple Dust. Little is written about it yet.Known on this site only as the hobby culture Purple Dust. No source read for this site describes the animal. Unknown

Also sold or known as

Working identification: Family only

Only the family is known.

This page is a stub

It records the name, a drawing and what the sources say so far. Sections that say nothing is recorded are waiting for evidence.

Side view drawing of Hypogastruridae sp. 'Purple Dust', drawn from sourced body proportions. It is a drawing, not a photograph.
Drawing
Schematic plate drawn from the group and the keeper colour name. Proportions and eye count are not measured from a specimen. The colour comes from the hobby name only.

No size is recorded for this species yet, so true size is not available.

At a glance

Identification
Unresolved Stable How sure we are

Not recorded yet: Size, Difficulty, Growth, Temperature, Air humidity, Best enclosures.

Identification

Characters to check

These are the features recorded for this species. Each row says what kit you need to read it.

Character What it looks like Needs
Body form Short and plump The body is short, broad and grub-like with a rounded outline. / Slim tube The body is a smooth tube with segments you can see, and shorter antennae and legs. Varies Inherited: Poduromorpha 1 Naked eye
Surface texture Finely grainy The skin looks fine-grained, like very fine sandpaper, with no knobs. Inherited: Hypogastruridae 2 Hand loupe
Scales No scales The body has no scales, only skin and bristles. Inherited: Poduromorpha 1, 2 Hand loupe
Antenna length Shorter than half the body The antennae are short and stubby, clearly less than half the body length. Inherited: Poduromorpha 2 Phone macro
Antenna segments Four plain segments The antenna has four clear segments and none is divided into rings. / Divided into rings At least one segment is split into small rings, which makes the antenna look jointed. Varies Inherited: Collembola 3 Stereo microscope
Mouth shape Blunt mouth The mouth is blunt and the head is rounded in front. Inherited: Hypogastruridae 2 Hand loupe
7 characters have no record yet

Nobody has recorded these for this species, so the key treats them as unknown and never guesses.

  • Body length
  • Main colour
  • Colour pattern
  • Eyes
  • Eye count
  • Spines on the tail end
  • Jumping organ

Identify an animal you have

Answer in any order, with the kit you have.

Husbandry and breeding

No husbandry data is recorded for this species yet.

Tools

Print a care card

Key numbers and a QR code back to this page.

Bioactive compatibility

Fit by enclosure type

No temperature or moisture range is recorded for this species, so no fit can be estimated yet. Missing data is never scored as a poor fit.

Animals that eat springtails mean the springtails need topping up. The explorer shows which species keep up with the animals in your enclosure. Open the compatibility explorer

Natural history and distribution

No distribution is recorded for this species yet.

Taxonomy and naming history

How sure the name is

Name type
Family only Only the family is known.
Confidence
Unresolved There is not enough evidence to name it.
Evidence for the name
Trade label only
Stability
Stable Sources agree and the name has not moved in years.
Review
Imported, not reviewed

Classification

Trade and hobby names

Trade names are not taxonomy. Each one is a label that sellers use, with its own page.

Name Kind How likely
Purple Springtail Common name Possible
Purple Dust Trade name Unresolved

Open questions and sources

Open questions

  • Which genus is the Purple Dust culture?

    Identification Needs a specialist

    Why it matters. The culture is placed at family level only. Pigment must not drive a genus guess.

    What would help. Slide-mounted adults examined for eyes, furca, setae and claws.

  • Which species is this culture, checked by a specialist?

    Identification Needs a voucher specimen

    Why it matters. Hobby cultures are mostly named from a seller's label or a photograph. A wrong name spreads from seller to keeper and then into care advice.

    What would help. Preserved vouchers from the culture in 80 to 95 percent ethanol, mounted specimens examined by a springtail specialist, and a DNA barcode where a reference exists. Deposit the voucher with a museum or a university collection.

Sources

  1. 1

    Biology of the Springtails (Insecta: Collembola)

    Hopkin SP. 1997. Oxford University Press

    Verified against a registry · Specialist monograph

    Cited at chapter on external morphology.

  2. 2

    The Collembola of Fennoscandia and Denmark. Part I: Poduromorpha

    Fjellberg A. 1998. Brill

    Verified against a registry · Specialist monograph

    Cited at Hypogastruridae; introduction.

  3. 3

    Checklist of the Collembola of the World

    Bellinger PF, Christiansen KA, Janssens F

    Link works · Authoritative database

    Cited at Introduction, external anatomy and morphology.

Spotted a mistake or know a better source?

Page data reviewed Oct 22, 2026