Bioluminescent Springtails light up Christchurch, New Zealand

FAQ

If you have a question about GEO send it to Terry Lynch. New questions will be address on this page in the future. Thanks for you inquiry.

1. What is a GEO? This is a species of bioluminescent Springtail or Collembola. Originally samples collected were thought to be Onychiuridae. Hence they were referred to as Graham East's Onychiuridae or GEO because they were found by Graham East on the South Island of New Zealand in the Christchurch area. Recently it was found that the samples collected contained a mix of at least five different Collembola. When the bioluminescent specimen was isolated and identified it was found to be Anurida granaria (Nicolet, H., 1847) (Neanuridae, Pseudachorutinae). So you might say GEO stands for Graham East's Obsession with these little glow buddies as he likes to call them. Should you find them fascinating don't be surprised if you develop a similar obsession, as they are quite a curious, indeed, enlightening, lot.
2. Do GEO glow when disturbed? Yes! Originally Mr. East thought the GEO's were continueously glowing. However, once they were isolated and reared it was observed that they will glow when gently disturbed, as by blowing a puff of air over them. They are commonly found found under logs, bricks or other objects at night where they appear to be glowing when uncovered. An abrubt disturbance of their colony causes the GEO to glow and then their light quickly dims.
3. What is their distribution? Anurida granaria are widely distributed. They occur throughout much of Europe and Russia all the way to Alaska, northern Canada and Greenland. They also occur along the coastal plains of northern Africa and in Western Australia. And of course they occur in occur upon the South Island of New Zealand in the Christchurch area. Their Graham East has observed the bioluminescent variety as far inland as 8 miles. However, this author does not know if the global distribution includes the bioluminescent variety in all areas or if this species is bioluminescent only in particular areas. Should you discover this species in your area, you may help determine the range and distribution of the bioluminescent variety by signing our GUESTBOOK.
4. Where are they normally found? GEO are normally found by hunting for them at night. Turning over bricks, logs or other objects upon the ground may reveal an aggregate or colony which is glowing. They glow when their colony is disturbed; then the glow is extinguished. They may glow for 5-10 seconds after their home is disturbed. They are reported to be found glowing all year long, regardless of the season. One particularly large display was observed under a log toward the end of March, 2001. Gently blowing upon them may cause a brief glow which is then extinguished.
5. How were specimens collected? Specimens may be collected during the day light hours by searching in areas where they have been seen at night or are suspected to occur feeding in decaying vegetation or leaf litter. Usage of a mouth operated aspirator or Tüllgren funnel is most helpful in this respect. It may also be possible for the adept collector to dawn a head lamp and secure specimens at night with an aspirator. Because Anurida granaria is cosmopolitan, it is generally found mixed with other species. Thus the glowing specimens must be carefully picked out of the mixture, a task requiring that one's eyes be adapted to darkness and careful usage of an aspirator to isolate Anurida granaria from other Collembola.
6. How do I preserve specimens? GEO may be collected and preserved in 70% alcohol. After collecting specimens please return any logs, stones, bricks or other objects to the same position you found them in so colonies may reestablish themselves.
7. How do I rear this species? GEO are a type of Springtail and may be most easily reared in jars or plastic containers of moist Canadian peat moss. Add enough water to peat moss to give the peat moss a spongy texture. Press the peat moss down to a depth of 1 or 2 inches or more. Keep containers sealed to avoid escape of the tiny Springtails; open at least once per week to add distilled water to the peat moss. Feed baker's yeast. Sprintails are reported to actually eat mycelium, the mold growing upon decaying vegetation. They may also be fed boiled carrots or fish food flakes which are allowed to become covered with mold.
8. What is the genus-species of GEO? Anurida granaria (Nicolet, H., 1847) (Neanuridae, Pseudachorutinae). Identification was made by Dr. Wanda M. Weiner.
9. What does GEO use its lights for? As yet this has not been established. Glowing may be of survival benefit to the aggregate or colony. It is this author's opinion that glowing may play a role in behaviors associated with aggregation, as in mating, heat production via collective metabolism, and defense. The extinguishing of glow in conjunction with release of repellant fluid by the group or colony may serve as a defense or escape behavior. Also it is probable glowing at night is a hangover from when an ancestral species was a bioluminescent marine animal and became active at night to feed and/or mate. GEO may then retain this ancient behavior, glowing as it is nocturnally active and engaged in feeding and mating. This is certainly an area which requires investigation rather than speculation.
10. What is the nature of their bioluminescence? This has yet to be established. GEO may glow because of bioluminescent bacteria or because of the presence of photogenic cells. This author has not been able to obtain live specimens and it is very difficult to determine such matters when all one has is a tiny GEO corpse.
11. How do they turn on their lights? This is not know yet. This author suspects that the trigger for turning on glow involves the release of nitric oxide (NO), as release of this gas has been reported to be involved in the trigger of firefly flashes and other stimulus/response reactions. But again, this is pure speculation. One can not know how GEO turn on their lights until the nature of their bioluminescence is investigated and established. Once the nature of their bioluminescence is established it should be possible to figure out how they turn their glowing off.
12. Do GEO exhibit circadian rhythm with respect to their glow? After isolating Anurida granaria (Nicolet, H., 1847) and endeavoring to establish rearing stock, Graham East has observed that glowing seems to occur only during evening periods. This is for stock maintained under mercury vapor lights for periods of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. It was observed that when specimens are blown upon during the daylight period of this cycle they do not glow; then when blown upon to agitate them during the night cycle, they briefly glow.
13. At what temperature do GEO live? It is reported that GEO normally occur in decaying vegetation and debris at temperature above freezing. Specimens were collected in August 2001 by Graham East under bricks and other object where they occur in decaying vegetation of cool soil (7° C). When specimens were placed in a freezer for 35 minutes and returned to room temperature their glow had been extinguished; specimens had expired leaving no after glow. This suggest that GEO can not survive freezing in nymph or adult forms. It is conjectured that eggs may be able to survive freezing. In the summer months soil temperatures would be elevated. (This experiment needs to be repeated using pure stock of Anurida granaria (Nicolet, H., 1847).
14. If GEO are blind why do they glow? Many Collembola are blind. Therefore it is curious, indeed, that a species which is blind should be bioluminescent. This topic certainly deserves further investigation.
15. How did you make your photographs of GEO? Photomicrographs by Terry Lynch were taken with a SANYO LCD digital camera model VPC-X360 set on super high resolution SH1 using dark field illumination or regular lighting and image processed in Photo Suite III (added pointers, scales, cleaned up backgrounds and enhanced). A Lafayette optical microscope model 99-7039WX was used. This particular microscope has 4x, 10x, 40x and 100x objectives and 5x, 10x and 15x eyepieces such that a wide range of combinations are possible to obtain suitable magnification. Note: the photographs shown in the GEO gallery of species with spines are NOT of Anurida granaria (Nicolet, H., 1847), but of another speices which were collected as part of a mixed sample. Anurida granaria does NOT have spines.

It is obvious that there are many unanswered questions with respect to this species. One can speculate about these matters until "Christchurch" freezes over and not be any closer to the truth than when the species was first discovered. Therefore I challenge other researchers to take an interest in GEO and help bring some light to the dark. Ah, but perhaps the fact that tiny GEO turn out their lights contributes to their survival. Not only does this behavior keep predators ignorant of their whereabouts, it also maintains humanity in the dark :-)

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