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*** Note: KnowYourInsects.org does its best to include correct identifications of insect photos. It’s always possible that we made a mistake, however, so if you see a misidentification, please contact us and we will correct it. Thanks!
Class Collembola: the springtails and snowfleas — Examples
Orders represented on this page:
Order Poduromorpha (the plump springtails)
Snow fleas in the genus Hypogastrura, order Poduromorpha.
□ The tiny black flecks in the snow in this photo are alive. Because they can jump, they are called snow fleas, but they are not actually related to fleas at all. In fact, they technically are not even insects. Snow fleas are often seen by the hundreds — sometimes thousands or more (see comment below) — in the snow, frequently accumulating in dips in the snow, such as shoeprints. They can survive cold winter temperatures that would kill other bugs, because they possess antifreeze proteins that prevent them from freezing. The photo at right is a close-up of a few of these interesting little creatures.
Photographed by: Julie Wilson. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. Date: 2 March, 2020. Julie says, “This morning we found millions of these insects jumping all over the snow around our home, which has wood siding.”
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Order Symphypleona (the globular springtails
A globular springtail, family Sminthuridae, order Symphypleona.
□ Springtails are little invertebrates, each of which has a tiny spring mechanism on its underside. When that mechanism lets loose, the springtail flings into the air. The fling happens very fast, so when looking at many of them, it almost looks as if some are disappear and reappear.
Photographed and identified by: Matt G. Nicely done, Matt! Location: southeast rural Colorado, USA. Date: mid-May, 2016.
Says Matt, “This tiny guy (about 0.75mm) landed on an avocado we were eating indoors.” Matt took this photo with a cellphone “through a specimen scope at 4x with 10mm objective.”
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A globular springtail, family Sminthuridae, order Symphypleona.
□ The spring mechanism of a springtail is called a furcula. The furcula is held against the body’s ventral (belly) side with a latch. When the latch releases, the furculum snaps against the ground and sends the springtail into the air. This photo shows the furculum after it has sprung.
Photographed and identified by: Matt G. Location: southeast rural Colorado, USA. Date: mid-May, 2016.
Matt says, “You can just make out its furculum.”
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A globular springtail, family Sminthuridae, order Symphypleona.
□ A typical globular springtail is a tiny organism with a plump, round (or roundish) body and a little head. A careful look at this photo reveals the small head with two, large, dark eyes as well as two antennae extending to the lower left.
Photographed by Hussein Hesham. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org.
Location: Helwan (part of Greater Cairo), Egypt.
Date: 14 April, 2018.
Hussein says he did not see the springtails jumping, but did see them “moving around the bathroom floor.” KnowYourInsects.org says, “They do not always jump, but they can, and if you watch long enough, you will probably see them leap.”
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Order Entomobryomorpha (the elongate-bodied springtails)
An elongate-bodied springtail, order Entomobryomorpha.
□ Because of their small size and frequent movements (see comment below) springtails are a challenge to photograph, but this is a nice shot.
Photographed by Jill E. Hadfield. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org.
Location: Stockport, England, UK.
Date: 13 July, 2017.
Jill says, “They’re hard, move quite quickly, seem a bit jerky/jumpy, can float/move in water and not drown.”
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An elongate-bodied springtail, order Entomobryomorpha.
Photographed by Jill E. Hadfield. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org.
Location: Stockport, England, UK.
Date: 13 July, 2017.
Jill saw several with the largest one at about 1/4 inch (about 6 mm) long.
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Elongate-bodied springtails, order Entomobryomorpha.
□ Springtails do spring, jumping out of sight almost like magic. They can appear in large number. See the photographer’s comment below.
Photographed and identified by: Constance Arnold.
Location: Roscoe, Illinois, USA.
Date: 21 July, 2018.
Constance says, “Ugh! They are relentless! … And they’re fast!”
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An elongate-bodied springtail, order Entomobryomorpha (elongate-bodied springtails), class Collembola.
□ Soil entomologist Lee Townsend of the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology identified the springtails in this photo, and helpfully noted the identifying features for this order: a forked springing organ called the furculum, and a tube-like structure called the collophore. Both the furculum and collophone are on the underside of springtails and out of view in this photo.
Photographed by: Candy Thomas, Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Identified by: soil entomologist Lee Townsend, University of Kentucky Department of Entomology.
Location: Champaign, Illinois, USA.
Date: 21 July, 2018.
Candy found this springtail in a soybean field. She took the photo at 10-20x magnification and estimates that this “little guy” was about 4 mm (about 0.16 inches) long.
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An elongate-bodied springtail, order Entomobryomorpha (elongate-bodied springtails), class Collembola.
□ Springtails can be very numerous in soil. A typical spadeful of good soil typically contains hundreds of them. The soil is full of amazing organisms! Springtails are usually only noticed when they leave the soil (see the comment below).
Photographed and identified by: Eric Smith. Location: Hoover, Alabama, USA. Date: 15 May, 2017.
Eric says, “For months I’ve had these tiny, tiny insects around my house. I first noticed them on the brick on the shady side of our house. Then around the doors. Tonight I found some inside on the kitchen window sill.”
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An elongate-bodied springtails, order Entomobryomorpha (elongate-bodied springtails), class Collembola.
□ Springtails like dampness and feed on mold and mildew spores. They can become quite plentiful in wet potting soil, but they are harmless little critters that do not eat plants and usually disappear when the potting soil dries out.
Photographed and identified by: Eric Smith. Location: Hoover, Alabama, USA. Date: 15 May, 2017.
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An elongate-bodied springtail, order Entomobryomorpha (elongate-bodied springtails), class Collembola.
□ The photographer saw several of these springtails, and described them this way: “About 1 mm long (0.04 inches); seen in groups generally after sundown; might be moving around my lamp; also kind of jumps when I put my finger close to it.”
Photographed by: Anonymous. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org.
Location: Istanbul, Turkey.
Date: 4 April, 2017.
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Unless noted otherwise, photographs on this website are the property of the photographers and may not be reused without written permission from the photographers. To obtain permission, request it here.
Photos at the top of this website by: Leslie Mertz, Ph.D., LMERTZ@nasw.org.
Reproduction of material from any KnowYourInsects.org webpages without written permission is strictly prohibited.
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