← Elaine Ingham · Research and publications
What do springtails choose to eat?
Folsomia candida shows preferences among fungi and their growth stages.
Study published:
The feeding-choice experiment
The study compared the springtail Folsomia candida’s preferences for three fungi. Acremonium sp. was preferred both for feeding and egg laying. [1]
Fungal condition matters
Active rather than ageing hyphae were preferred in two fungi. In Penicillium citrinum, spores were preferred to active hyphae. Feeding choices therefore also varied within a fungus. [1]
A connection with our observations
For our Center, the study offers a starting point for organising training around feeding relationships. We want to observe organisms alongside their surroundings and record the material in each sample. This is our own educational use of the paper.
Presentation context
This presentation draws on the published abstract of laboratory feeding-choice tests with a particular microarthropod.
Sources and references
- Moore, J. C., Ingham, E. R. & Coleman, D. C. (1987). Biology and Fertility of Soils, 5, 6–12. DOI: 10.1007/BF00264338 Original publication and study record