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The springtail are small,
primitive wingless insects. Although crawling is their usual
method of locomotion, they have a jumping apparatus at the end of their
abdomen They range in length from 1 to 10 mm (0.04 to 0.4 inches).
called a furcula. It permits some mighty leaps, which is the
origin of the common name "springtail."
There are about 3,500 species. Springtail
are found in all types of soil and leaf litter
throughout the world from Antarctica to the Arctic, and are one of the
most widely distributed insects. Certain springtails known as snow fleas
are active at near-freezing temperatures and may appear in large numbers
on snow surfaces. Springtails live in soil and on water and feed on
decaying vegetable matter, sometimes
damaging garden crops and mushrooms. Fossil springtails are among the
oldest insect fossils known. |