Tiny, Black, Jumping Beetle/Bug with Two White Spots in Soil

[OANYC]

This one has me stumped-- I can't find it on google, which leads to me assume I have discovered a new animal.

I have an elm I brought inside to avoid the tail end of the long, cold winter we've been having. The tree came out of dormancy fine, has been growing well, but recently I've noticed it's been losing some leaves.

The leaf discoloration is something I've seen from spider mites, but I've done a couple paper checks around the tree and don't see any evidence.

The one thing I've notice that is new is these, small, black, jumping, almost beetle looking bugs, with two white dots. The small ones are dust sized, the bigger ones about .5mm.

It's our second real day of spring weather tomorrow, so I'll bring the tree outside and give it a neem spraying, if that doens't seem to help maybe an insecticidal soap soak later this week. Just wondering if anyone can ID the bug, and reassure me that it's not something terrible.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I think it's a springtail.
Looks like dicyrtomina saundersi.

 

[sorce]

I think it's a springtail.
Looks like dicyrtomina saundersi.

I think its one of them black "algae" beetles...

Just like them pill bugs...

If there is no algae in spring, they WILL eat tender new growth.....

Sorce

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

But beetles can't jump ;-)

 

[OANYC]

Globular Springtail, Sminthurinus Quadrimaculatus.

Kinda cute if you ask me.

Not sure if they were doing any damage to the tree. Most sites mention that springtails are generally harmless, but will chew roots when other material is not available. I'm starting to think I've got a bigger infestation than I realized, and maybe they ARE causing the leaf stippling to occur.

I've sprayed Safer soap and neem on different days. I guess the next step is to try a soil drench with insecticidal soap.

 

[M. Frary]

I've sprayed Safer soap and neem on different days. I guess the next step is to try a soil drench with insecticidal soap.

Why not spray it with a systemic like Bayer 3 in 1?
Insect worries gone.
Also if you use all inorganic soil components you reduce the insect problems.

 

[Flounder61]

OANYC: I just found Glob Springtails on an azalea of mine. The tree is healthy, but there were a bunch of them. Nothing I read on the U of MN extension site suggested they were harmful, but I am curious-what did you determine? Were they the cause of your leave stippling?