Springtails (Collembola)

Arthropoda -> Hexapoda -> Entognatha -> Collembola

Springtails are ancient (appearing in the Rynie chert), wingless, six-legged relatives of Insects, along with Protura and Diplura. Their common name refers to their unique springing organ, scientifically called a ‘furca’, which most species can use to launch themselves randomly away from danger. Springtails are a hugely diverse group of arthropods, and are probably the most colourful and charismatic of all the soil fauna. They can be found in almost all land-based habitats on Earth - from the inhospitable slopes of Mount Everest, to remote caves deep beneath the planet’s surface. Springtails are important grazers and detritivores, feeding on bacteria, slime moulds, fungal hyphae and decaying plant matter - thus helping to regulate decomposition and soil nutrient cycling. I could go on and on about how great they are, but honestly if you want to be convinced that Collembola are simply the best animals ever, I would recommend checking out this compelling blog post by my friend and macrophotography mentor Andy Murray - he’s simply obsessed with them, and who could blame him. I’ve split my photos below into to the four main Orders of Collembola

‘Globular’ Springtails (Symphypleona)

The globular springtails (Symphypleona) are probably the most distinctive of the springtails, with a charmingly spherical body (their abdominal and thoracic segments are fused) which is often colourful and patterned. Symphypleona are mainly surface-dwellers, living in decaying plant material and on vegetation, and make good use of their springing organs (some wonderful slow-motion footage of them launching to the heavens has been captured by Dr Adrian Smith (@DrAdrianSmith on Twitter), available on YouTube here). They are easily the most photographic of the springtails, and sometimes they even seem happy to pose for some snaps.