The redback, also known as genus nov.1 sp. nov.2
During a routine collection of very small animals living on the farm, Forest Row Natural History Group has found a springtail which has not been formally described by science. Living among the moss Cryphaea heteromalla on a willow by the river, the identity of this 0.8mm-long creature was confirmed by Peter Shaw of the University of Roehampton, the national recorder for collembola (springtails). He notes that the world expert on springtails, Penelope Greenslade of Federation University, Australia, has stated that the species will sit in a new genus in the family Katiannidae and though a few other examples have been found in the UK it is still un-named.
Peter Shaw notes: “It has a mid-dorsal stripe and dark abd 6, making it ‘group 2′ under a classification the Frans Janssens and Ed Philips drew up based on macrophotographs.” Other images of this are available on Frans Janssens’ Checklist of Collembola.
Even though it is ‘new to science’ there are several other records of it, as this map from Peter illustrates:
The springtail Entomobrya intermedia was also found at the same spot.
Entomobrya intermedia
The tree on which the springtails were found
Nature's book 