Ootypus globosus (Waltl, 1838)

This western Palaearctic species has a rather sporadic distribution through Europe; it occurs from Spain to the Black Sea and into western parts of Russia but is absent from the Balkans and only really common in some southern and central areas, it extends north as far as the UK and central Sweden but is absent from some of the Baltic countries and otherwise generally rare e.g. in Poland and northern Germany. Here it is widespread though very local throughout England and Wales, including the islands, north to the Humber and very local and scarce further north into southern Scotland and across Ireland. Adults occur year-round and are active from early spring until late autumn, they peak in abundance from May until July and may often be found active during the winter. Typical habitats are grassland and dung pasture where they often occur in numbers in herbivore dung but more generally they are associated with compost and decaying vegetation in a wide range of damp or not too dry habitats, and they have been recorded from stored straw etc. in sheds and cellars. Little is known of the life-cycle but larvae are probably saprophagous rather than mould feeders which more general for the family. Adults often occur in numbers, especially in cattle and horse dung that is not too wet, and are easily obtained by extraction or tapping samples over a sheet, more generally they will often be encountered when sieving compost or well-decayed litter in open woodland, during the winter they sometimes appear among extraction samples e.g. from old bird or mammal nests or decaying sporophores, and may be common among flood refuse. Despite their tiny size and obscure habits they soon become obvious in the field and should be regularly recorded.