Spring is for Springtails

   The Oklahoma weather is taking some rapid twists and turns in terms of temperatures lately, but there is one group of arthropods that are already starting to show up in fairly good numbers regardless: the Collembola, or Springtails. Springtails are very small, many less than a few millimeters long. They can be found in pretty much all environments, though most are linked to moist areas and water.  Here in North America you can most easily find them around moist soil and moss, like this video of Collembola in Ohio below.

Many can also be very colorful, being a dark purplish blue to yellow with red stripes. Anurida sp. is known for its bright blue color.

Anurida maritima, which lives in intertidal zones

    If you look closely at the surface of water near creeks and ditches lately, you'll see Collembola start to show up. Many are the size of a pin-head or smaller, but if you look closely they can come in a variety of forms. Some look like centipedes, like the picture above. Some even look like miniature bunny-rabbits, like the Sminthuridae :

   The reason Collembola are called Springtails are because they have a unique lock-and hinge system (retinaculum and furcula or "tail", respectively) that, when released, causes a spring-trap like flip into the air for escape. Here is a video about how some Sminthurid springtails keep themselves clean and jump:

    Springtails also have elaborate mating dances to get female spring-tails to accept the sperm of a male springtail. Here is another video of male springtails trying to convince a female to accept their sperm by pushing her with enough force on the head...if he's strong enough to move her, he can mate with her:

 

 

   We have specimens of Collembola in our collection, most of which are on slides and a few in alcohol. They are a very diverse and very neat group of arthropods, so next time you see something move outside, take a closer look...it might be a springtail making its Spring appearance!

     Happy Spring Everyone!