The Collembola or Springtail Insects of the High Altitude Areas of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Abstract

Extensive collecting of Collembola, perhaps the most intensive for any region of comparable size in the U.S., was carried out during the summer of 1961. The region involved encompassed Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and certain adjacent areas of Teton and Shoshone National Forests. A new type of modified Berlese funnel, involving a battery of 12 Buchner separatory funnels, was employed to extract the Collembola from such materials as soil, humus, moss, etc. This new apparatus proved highly efficient for the purpose. Several hundred lots of material were collected and passed through the Berlese apparatus. Extensive manual collecting, particularly sweeping vegetation, was also done. Emphasis was placed on the study of the Collembolous fauna of high altitude areas; collections were made at elevations ranging from about 6,500 to 13,700 feet. Project Number 111.