Springtail Animal such as Orchesella cincta from the Northern Hemisphere often occur in concealed, damp places and on the surface of ponds. They feed on decomposing organic matter, and some use their biting mouthparts to feed on living plants. Size: 0.1 in (2.5 mm).
Springtail Animal Facts:
Common name: Springtails
Class: Collembola
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Number of species: More than 8,000 (677 US)
Size: From less than 0.04 in (1 mm) to 0.5 in (12 mm)
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Key features: Body soft, rounded to elongate in shape; may be pure white, variably colored, or metallic; mouthparts long and positioned inside head, can be pushed out to feed; eyes poorly developed; 3 pairs of walking legs, wings absent, abdomen has only 6 segments and in most species carries a jumping structure, the furcula
Habits: Prefer to stay out of sight in dark, damp places where food is present, e.g, under stones, in rotting wood, in compost heaps, in leaf litter, in the soil, in caves, and in ant and termite nests, some species are day active on plants
Breeding: Males deposit spermatophores for females to pick up, courtship known in some species
Diet: Decaying vegetable matter, including fungi
Habitat: Found in all kinds of habitat as long as it is moist, some species live on the surface of water, even the sea
Distribution: worldwide, even on the surface of snowfields
Springtail Animal Pictures Gallery:
