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Family Poduridae

The Podurids are among the most abundant of insects, although on account of their excessively small size they do not attract much attention.

We have something more than a half dozen species in this country and one of them, Achorutes nivicola, is the form, as one might know from its name, which is commonly found in the late spring upon the surface of snow.

They are commonly found in deep soil which contains more or less soil humus, and have been taken in a stiff clay subsoil at a depth of six feet, but they had probably penetrated to this depth by following the path of rootlets. They are found upon the surface of water, on mushrooms, and are common among dead leaves in the woods.

The eggs of one species have been observed. They were fifteen in number, spherical, white, and one one-hundred and eightieth of an inch in diameter.