Collembola (springtails)

Uniramia

--Centipedes

--Hexapoda 1 (insects)

--Hexapoda 2 (insects)

--Hexapoda 3 (insects)

--Identification to order level

--Insect orders

----Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)

----Ephemeroptera (mayflies)

----Hemiptera (bugs, cicadas)

----Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps & saw flies)

------Bumblebees

----Coleoptera (beetles)

----Dictyoptera (mantids, cockroaches)

----Diptera (true flies)

----Neuroptera (lacewings, ant lions)

----Orthoptera (crickets, locusts)

----Thysanura (bristletails, silver fish)

----Strepsiptera (stylops)

----Thysanoptera (thrips)

----Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies)

----Trichoptera (caddis flies)

----Siphonaptera (fleas)

----Isoptera (termites)

----Phasmida (stick & leaf insects)

----Dermaptera (earwigs)

----Anoplura/siphunculata (sucking lice)

----Mallophaga (biting lice, bird lice)

----Psocoptera (book, bark, dust lice)

----Mecoptera (scorpion flies)

----Collembola (springtail)

----Embioptera (web spinners)

----Plecoptera (stone flies)

----Diplura (bristletails)

----Protura

----Zoraptera

Fast facts about Collembola (springtails)

Small, short bodied, often covered with scales.
Biting mouthparts.
Short antennae.
Small or no eyes.
Terminal forked springing organ (furcula) folded up under the body when at rest.
Found mostly in damp places.
About 6500 species worldwide, over 300 in British Isles.
The fossil record stretches as far back as the Devonian.

Collembola springtail

The springtails range in length from 2 - 12 mm. Their distinguishing feature is the furcula/furca (forked jumping organ, see left) on the last segment, and retaining hook on the underside of the third abdominal segment; the quick release of this allows the animal to jump great distances. Springtails are the most widely distributed animal on earth being found from Arctic to Antarctic, and they are the most abundant six-legged creature on earth.

They come in a variety of colours - yellow, pink, orange, green, brown and violet. Those that live deeper in the soil are usually light coloured or white. These feed mainly on fungus hyphae and organic debris. And are important in the soil-forming process, especially in forest soils as they break dwon the plant fragments that form the littler layer.

Recent work at a molecular level has shown that springtails are more closely related to the crustaceans such as shrimps and copepods. This just points out how taxonomy is neverending. They feed mainly on fungi and algae and are very sensitive to dryness. The glue peg is capable of absorbing water and allows them to regulate their water balance, and

also to grip on to smooth surfaces. In the drawing above the furcula, or spring is shown open on the drawing at the top of the page, the dotted lines show the closed position.