''Ptenothrix beta'' is a species of

springtail Springtails (class Collembola) form the largest of the three lineages of modern Hexapoda, hexapods that are no longer considered insects. Although the three lineages are sometimes grouped together in a class called Entognatha because they have in ...

in the genus ''

Ptenothrix ''Ptenothrix'' is a genus of globular springtails in the family Dicyrtomidae. There are about 92 described species in ''Ptenothrix'' worldwide. The genus is defined by a cluster of traits, most pertaining to chaetotaxy. These traits are as ...

''. It is incredibly variable and ranges across the northwestern US.

Description

This species has a "bullet-shaped" body. It is distinguished from other ''Ptenothrix'' species by having three dark stripes with light lines separating them and a dark line on the abdomen. The overall coloration is light brown. It also has side bands towards the back. Some specimens sometimes have a Y shape towards the back which can cause confusion; others do not and only have side bands.

References

Symphypleona Animals described in 1981 {{Springtail-stub