Entomobryoidea

Womersley, 1934

Family Guides

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Entomobryoidea is a superfamily of springtails (Collembola) within the order Entomobryomorpha. Members are characterized by elongated body forms with long legs and , and a well-developed for jumping. The superfamily comprises three extant —Entomobryidae, Paronellidae (including ), and Microfalculidae—plus two extinct families known only from fossils. This group represents one of the three major lineages of springtails, distinct from Poduromorpha and Symphypleona.

Damaeus by (c) Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas. Used under a CC-BY license.Epidermoptidae by (c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cricket Raspet. Used under a CC-BY license.Psoroptidae by (c) Oleksii Vasyliuk, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Oleksii Vasyliuk. Used under a CC-BY license.

Identification

Entomobryoidea springtails are distinguished from Poduromorpha by their elongated, slender bodies and notably long and legs. They typically possess covering the body, which may be or variously shaped depending on . The is well-developed and functional. Unlike the globular Symphypleona, entomobryoid springtails have a more cylindrical or body shape. Identification to level requires examination of mouthpart structure, chaetotaxy patterns, and mucro .

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Habitat

within Entomobryoidea occupy diverse including leaf litter, soil, decaying wood, and arboreal environments. Some , such as Plumachaetas, are strictly arboreal and collected in humid rainforests using . Others are found in terrestrial microhabitats with adequate moisture.

Distribution

Global distribution with particular diversity in tropical and temperate regions. Salina is widespread in the New World with significant diversity in South America. Genus Plumachaetas is to Oceania. The superfamily as a whole occurs across all continents except Antarctica.

Behavior

Arboreal habits have been documented in some , including Plumachaetas which inhabit tree in humid rainforests.

Similar Taxa

  • PoduromorphaPoduromorph springtails have shorter legs and , more compact body forms, and often reduced or absent —traits that distinguish them from the elongated, long-legged Entomobryoidea.
  • SymphypleonaSymphypleonan springtails have a globular, rounded body shape with the integrated into the , contrasting with the cylindrical, segmented appearance of Entomobryoidea.

More Details

Taxonomic History

Entomobryoidea was formerly united with Poduroidea (now Poduromorpha) in the group 'Arthropleona,' but this classification was found to be . The three lineages—Entomobryomorpha, Poduromorpha, and Symphypleona—are now recognized as equally distinct and treated at equal taxonomic rank.

Systematic Composition

Following a 2008 review by Soto-Adames et al., the were demoted to a of Paronellidae. The superfamily includes: Entomobryidae, Paronellidae (with Cyphoderinae), Microfalculidae, and the extinct †Oncobryidae and †Praentomobryidae.

Sources and further reading