Collembola (springtails)

Small, short bodied, often covered with scales.
Soft bodies.
Biting mouthparts.
Wingless.
Legs have only 4 segments.
Short antennae.
Small or no eyes.
Terminal forked springing organ (furcula) folded up under the body when at rest.
6 segmented abdomen with sucker-like glue peg.
Found mostly in damp places.
Over 8000 species worldwide, over 300 in British Isles.
The fossil record stretches as far back as the Devonian.

Collembola springtail

The spring tail body

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.

The glue peg (also known as the sucker tube and the collophore) 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 thetop of the page, the dotted lines show the closed position.

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 down 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.