Collembola
Guides
Seira brasiliana
Seira brasiliana is a species of elongate-bodied springtail in the family Entomobryidae. It is a Neotropical species originally described from Brazil, with subsequent records from multiple Brazilian states including Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraíba, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. As a member of the genus Seira, it possesses the characteristic scaled body covering typical of this group. The species remains poorly studied, with limited published information on its biology and ecology.
Seira dollfusi
Seira dollfusi is a species of springtail in the family Entomobryidae, first described by Carl in 1899. The species was originally placed in the genus Sira before being transferred to Seira. It belongs to the group commonly known as slender springtails, characterized by their elongated body form. The species has been documented through 69 iNaturalist observations, indicating some level of detection in field surveys. Taxonomic status varies across sources, with Catalogue of Life listing it as a synonym of Seira (Seira) squamoornata, while GBIF and NCBI maintain it as an accepted species.
Seira domestica
Seira domestica is a species of slender springtail in the family Entomobryidae, originally described by Hercule Nicolet in 1842 as Degeeria domestica. It belongs to the order Entomobryomorpha, characterized by elongate body forms. The species has been recorded from Brazil (Pernambuco state).
Seira dubia
Seira dubia is a species of slender springtail in the family Entomobryidae, first described by Christiansen and Bellinger in 1980. Springtails in this genus are characterized by their elongated, slender body form and are members of the order Entomobryomorpha, one of the most diverse lineages of Collembola. As with other members of its family, S. dubia possesses a furcula (springing organ) that enables the characteristic jumping behavior of springtails. The species is currently accepted in taxonomic databases but appears to have limited published documentation beyond its original description.
Seira knowltoni
Seira knowltoni is a species of slender springtail in the family Entomobryidae. The species was described by Christiansen and Bellinger in 2000. It is currently accepted as a valid species, though some sources list it as a synonym of Seira (Seira) purpurea. As a member of the genus Seira, it belongs to a group of elongate, fast-moving springtails commonly found in soil and leaf litter habitats.
Sensillanura
Sensillanura is a genus of springtails (Collembola: Neanuridae) established by Deharveng in 1981. The genus is characterized by specific arrangements of sensilla on the body, a diagnostic feature for the group. Recent taxonomic work has described six new species from the Southern Appalachian Mountains, expanding the known diversity of the genus in North America. Species identification relies heavily on detailed examination of chaetotaxy and sensory structures.
Sensillanura barberi
Sensillanura barberi is a species of springtail in the family Neanuridae, first described by Handschin in 1928. As a member of the order Poduromorpha, it belongs to a group of soil-dwelling hexapods characterized by their reduced body size and specialized mouthparts. The species has been recorded in Pacific North America, with 35 observations documented on iNaturalist. Springtails in this family are typically found in moist soil and leaf litter environments where they contribute to decomposition processes.
Sensillanura caeca
Sensillanura caeca is a species of springtail in the family Neanuridae, first described by Folsom in 1916. The species epithet "caeca" (Latin for "blind") suggests an adaptation to subterranean or cave-dwelling habitats, a trait common among troglobitic springtails. As a member of the order Poduromorpha, it belongs to one of the most diverse groups of Collembola. Very few specific details about its biology have been documented in accessible literature.
Sensillanurini
Sensillanurini is a tribe of springtails (Collembola: Neanuridae: Neanurinae) characterized by distinctive ventral chaetotaxy patterns that have been used to distinguish it from other tribes within the subfamily. The tribe includes the genus Palmanura, which has been subject to recent taxonomic revision revealing multiple new species from Central and South America. Members of this tribe are soil-dwelling arthropods, though detailed biological and ecological studies remain limited.
Sinella
slender springtails
Sinella is a genus of slender springtails in the family Entomobryidae, containing at least 20 described species. Members of this genus are characterized by elongated bodies and are part of the diverse soil and litter microarthropod fauna. Several species, including Sinella curviseta and Sinella coeca, have been subjects of ecological and toxicological research. The genus has a broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents.
Sinella cavernarum
Cavernicolous springtail
Sinella cavernarum is a species of springtail in the family Entomobryidae, first described by Packard in 1888. The species epithet 'cavernarum' (of caves) suggests a troglophilic or troglobitic lifestyle. As an entomobryomorph springtail, it possesses the characteristic elongated body form and well-developed antennae typical of this group. Very few observations of this species exist in public databases.
Sinella recens
Sinella recens is a species of springtail (Collembola) in the family Entomobryidae, described by Christiansen and Bellinger in 1998. Springtails in this genus are small, soft-bodied hexapods characterized by their furcula (springing organ) used for locomotion. The species is part of the diverse North American springtail fauna, though specific ecological and biological details remain limited in published literature.
Sinella sexoculata
slender springtail
Sinella sexoculata is a species of slender springtail in the family Entomobryidae, described by Schött in 1896. As an entomobryomorph collembolan, it possesses the characteristic elongated body form and well-developed antennae typical of this group. The species has been documented in the Caribbean mainland and Pacific North American regions based on GBIF distribution records. Like other members of the genus Sinella, it inhabits soil and leaf litter environments where it contributes to decomposition processes.
Sminthuridae
globular springtails
Sminthuridae is a family of globular springtails (order Symphypleona) characterized by a rounded body shape, four-segmented antennae with successively lengthening segments, and an exceptionally long ventral tube with eversible vesicles. Members possess well-developed tracheae and a furcula for jumping. The family includes 13 genera and is distinguished from the similar Sminthurididae by antennal structure and dens setation. Some species are notable agricultural pests, while others are common in forest litter and snow habitats.
Sminthurides aquaticus
Sminthurides aquaticus is a species of springtail (Collembola) in the family Sminthurididae, characterized by its globular body form typical of the order Symphypleona. The species epithet 'aquaticus' suggests an association with wet or aquatic environments. As a member of the Sminthurididae, it belongs to a family known for small, often colorful springtails with reduced mouthparts. The species has been recorded across multiple biogeographic regions including the Arctic, Europe, the Mediterranean, and parts of North and South America.
Sminthurides bifidus
Sminthurides bifidus is a globular springtail in the family Sminthurididae, first described by H.B. Mills in 1934. Like other members of its genus, it possesses the characteristic globular body form typical of the order Symphypleona. The species has been recorded across multiple continents including Europe, North America, and the Caribbean region. It is one of approximately 109 observed species of Sminthurides documented on iNaturalist.
Sminthurides malmgreni
Malmgren's Springtail
Sminthurides malmgreni is a puddle springtail species in the family Sminthurididae, distributed across the United States and Europe. It inhabits standing water environments, including puddles and wet leaf litter. The species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in antenna structure, with males possessing distinctive modified antennae.
Sminthurides plicatus
Sminthurides plicatus is a species of globular springtail in the family Sminthurididae, first described by H. Schött in 1891. It belongs to the order Symphypleona, characterized by a rounded body shape distinct from elongate springtails. The species has been recorded in Caribbean and Pacific North American regions. As with other Sminthurides species, it is a small, soil-dwelling microarthropod.
Sminthurides weichseli
Sminthurides weichseli is a species of globular springtail described in 1981 from North America. As a member of the family Sminthurididae, it possesses the characteristic globular body form and furcula (springing organ) typical of the order Symphypleona. The species is known from limited observations and appears to have a distribution across northern and southern North America.
Sminthurididae
Sminthurididae is a family of globular springtails (Collembola: Symphypleona) distinguished by extreme sexual dimorphism, particularly in antennae structure and body size. Males possess clasper-shaped modified antennae used in courtship displays, while females retain unmodified antennae; males are also markedly smaller than females. The family comprises approximately 155 species across 12 extant genera, with notable diversity in the Neotropical region. Diagnostic morphological features include spherical short ventral tube sacs, presence of all abdominal bothriotricha (A–E), and absence of subanal appendage in females.
Sminthurinae
Sminthurinae is a subfamily of globular springtails (Collembola: Symphypleona) characterized by a rounded body form and well-developed furcula. Members possess the subfamily-defining trait of interocular vesicles—paired sensory structures with demonstrated photoreception function. The subfamily includes the genus Vesicephalus, which exhibits extreme habitat restriction possibly linked to this light-sensitive adaptation. Sminthurinae represents one of the major lineages within the Sminthuridae family.
Sminthurinus atrapallidus
Sminthurinus atrapallidus is a globular springtail species in the family Katiannidae, first described by Snider in 1978. It belongs to the order Symphypleona, characterized by a compact, rounded body form. The species is known from southern North America and has been documented in citizen science observations.
Sminthurinus henshawi
Henshaw's globular springtail
Sminthurinus henshawi is a species of globular springtail in the family Katiannidae. It is a small, soil-dwelling hexapod with a characteristic rounded body shape. The species has been recorded across multiple continents including North America and Eurasia. It is one of the more frequently observed springtail species, with over 1,400 citizen science records.
Sminthurinus latimaculosus
Sminthurinus latimaculosus is a globular springtail species described by E.A. Maynard in 1951. As a member of the family Katiannidae, it belongs to the order Symphypleona, which is characterized by a rounded, globular body form. The species has been recorded from North America and the Caribbean region. Like other springtails, it possesses a furcula (springing organ) for locomotion.
Sminthurinus minutus
Sminthurinus minutus is a species of globular springtail in the family Katiannidae. It is a small, soil-dwelling hexapod that belongs to the order Symphypleona, characterized by a rounded body form distinct from the elongated shape of other springtail orders. The species was first described by MacGillivray in 1894. As a member of Collembola, it possesses a furcula (springing organ) for escape locomotion, though this feature is reduced in some globular springtails.
Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus
globular springtail
Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus is a species of globular springtail in the family Katiannidae, described by Ryder in 1878. It is characterized by its compact, rounded body form typical of the Symphypleona order. The species has been recorded from multiple geographic regions including the Caribbean mainland, Hawaiian Islands, and the Azores (Santa Maria and Terceira). Two subspecies are recognized: Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus quadrimaculatus and Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus bimaculatus Maynard.
Sminthuroidea
Sminthuroidea is a superfamily of springtails (Collembola) within the order Symphypleona, established by Bretfeld in 1994. Members share a globular body form with the ability to roll into a ball when disturbed, distinguishing them from elongate springtail superfamilies. The superfamily includes families such as Sminthuridae and Dicyrtomidae, which are among the most frequently observed and photographed springtails due to their relatively large size and often bright coloration.
Sminthurus carolinensis
A species of globular springtail in the family Sminthuridae, described from the Carolinas region of the southeastern United States. As a member of the order Symphypleona, it possesses a characteristic rounded, globular body form distinct from the elongate-bodied Entomobryomorpha. The species was formally described by R.J. Snider in 1981.
Sminthurus eisenii
A globular springtail in the family Sminthuridae, first described from California in 1891. Belongs to the order Symphypleona, characterized by a rounded body form and reduced or absent furcula in some species. Part of a genus containing several agricultural pest species, though specific pest status for this species is undocumented.
Sminthurus fitchi
Sminthurus fitchi is a species of globular springtail in the family Sminthuridae. It belongs to the order Symphypleona, characterized by a rounded body form distinct from the more elongate springtails in other orders. The species was described by J.W. Folsom in 1896. Like other members of its genus, it possesses a furcula, the springing organ that gives Collembola their common name.
Sminthurus incisus
Sminthurus incisus is a globular springtail species described by Snider in 1978. It belongs to the family Sminthuridae, which contains relatively large, often brightly colored springtails with a rounded body form. The species is part of the order Symphypleona, characterized by their globular shape and fused abdominal segments. Like other members of its genus, it possesses a furcula (springing organ) used for locomotion.
Sminthurus medialis
Sminthurus medialis is a species of globular springtail in the family Sminthuridae, first described by H.B. Mills in 1934. As a member of the order Symphypleona, it exhibits the rounded body form characteristic of globular springtails. The species has been recorded in North America. Like other springtails, it possesses a furcula for springing locomotion.
Sminthurus mencenbergae
Sminthurus mencenbergae is a springtail species endemic to the east coast of North America, first described by Snider in 1983. It belongs to the family Sminthuridae, a group of globular springtails characterized by their rounded body shape and distinctive color patterning. The species exhibits characteristic dorsal markings that aid in identification.
Sminthurus sp-nr-variegatus
variegated globular springtail
Sminthurus sp-nr-variegatus is a globular springtail in the family Sminthuridae, characterized by its distinctive variegated color pattern. This species exhibits the rounded body form typical of the order Symphypleona, with a furcula (springing organ) folded beneath the abdomen. It inhabits surface vegetation and soil litter in various terrestrial environments. The 'sp-nr-variegatus' designation indicates a species near or related to Sminthurus variegatus, pending formal taxonomic resolution.
Stenacidia
Stenacidia is a genus of springtails in the family Sminthurididae, described by C. Börner in 1906. The genus comprises four described species, with records spanning Europe, Arctic and Subarctic regions, Central Australia, and the Himalayas. Members of this genus belong to the order Symphypleona, characterized by their globular body form.
Stenacidia violacea
Stenacidia violacea is a springtail species in the family Sminthurididae, characterized by distinctive coloration with yellowish body and purple lateral markings. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in coloration, with females sometimes appearing dark purple. A notable behavioral trait involves antenna contact during mating, described as resembling a 'kiss'. The species has a broad distribution spanning the Nearctic and Palearctic regions, with a recent range extension to Iran documented in 2019.
Stenus
rove beetles, water-gliding rove beetles
Stenus is a genus of semiaquatic rove beetles comprising approximately 3100 described species, making it one of the largest genera in the animal kingdom. These beetles are specialist predators of small arthropods, particularly Collembola. They possess distinctive adaptations including a protrusible adhesive labium for prey capture and pygidial gland secretions that enable rapid water surface locomotion via the Marangoni effect. The genus occurs worldwide across diverse habitats from aquatic margins to terrestrial leaf litter.
Stenus comma
Stenus comma is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, notable for its highly specialized predatory behavior. The species employs a unique hunting mechanism using pygidial gland secretions to capture springtails (Collembola). It can eject a viscous, sticky secretion as a droplet on an extendable terminal filament to 'shoot' at prey, or apply the secretion directly during ambush. The beetle demonstrates flexible hunting strategies that adapt to different prey types and defensive capabilities. This species has a broad distribution across the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Asia, and North America.
Superodontella
Superodontella is a genus of springtails (Collembola) in the family Odontellidae, established by Stach in 1949. The genus has been documented across multiple continents including Europe, where recent studies have expanded its known range into Italy and Ukraine. Species-level identification relies on detailed chaetotaxy, particularly antennal sensilla patterns and specific arrangements of chaetae on body segments.
Superodontella cornifer
Superodontella cornifer is a species of springtail in the family Odontellidae. It has been recorded across diverse regions including Arctic, sub-Arctic, and North American temperate zones, as well as Caribbean mainland areas. The species shows a notably broad geographic distribution for a collembolan. Available records suggest it occupies varied climatic zones from cold northern regions to tropical Caribbean environments.
Tetracanthella californica
Tetracanthella californica is a species of springtail described by Deharveng in 1978. It belongs to the family Isotomidae, a diverse group of small, wingless hexapods found in soil and leaf litter ecosystems. The species epithet indicates its occurrence in California. Like other Collembola, it contributes to decomposition processes in terrestrial habitats.
Tomoceridae
Tomoceridae is a family of springtails (Collembola) within the order Entomobryomorpha. Members are characterized by their elongated bodies and relatively long antennae compared to other springtail families. The family includes both surface-dwelling and cave-adapted species, with some showing pronounced troglomorphic traits such as eyelessness and depigmentation. Tomoceridae has a broad geographic distribution including Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
Tomocerus
elongate springtails
Tomocerus is a genus of elongate springtails (Collembola) in the family Tomoceridae, characterized by their relatively large size among springtails and distinctive body proportions. Species in this genus are distributed across multiple continents including Europe, Asia, and the Americas, with some species exhibiting troglomorphic adaptations in cave habitats. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, with species complexes such as the kinoshitai and ocreatus groups recognized. Tomocerus vulgaris is a notable species that has been studied for its life history and ecological interactions, including serving as prey for specialized predators such as harvestmen.
Tomocerus minor
Tomocerus minor is a cosmopolitan springtail species in the family Tomoceridae. It reaches up to 4.5 mm in body length and exhibits a characteristic uniform bluish iridescence. The species has been recorded across a remarkably broad geographic range, spanning from Arctic regions to temperate and tropical zones across multiple continents and oceanic islands.
Tomocerus vulgaris
Tomocerus vulgaris is a European springtail species in the family Tomoceridae, characterized by an elongate body form and relatively long antennae. It is a soil-dwelling organism that has been documented as prey for harvestmen, which use adhesive secretions to capture this species despite its water-repellent cuticle. The species has been subject to bionomic studies examining its life history and temperature-dependent development.
Tomolonus reductus
Tomolonus reductus is the sole species in the monotypic genus Tomolonus, a springtail in the family Tomoceridae. It is distinguished from other Tomoceridae by having only three ocelli in its eyepatch, a reduced number compared to relatives. The species was described in 1949 by H.B. Mills. Very few observations exist, with only three records documented on iNaturalist.
Tullbergia
Tullbergia is a genus of springtails (Collembola) in the family Tullbergiidae, established by Lubbock in 1876. The genus contains approximately 50 described species distributed across diverse habitats including Arctic, Antarctic, and temperate regions. Some species have been studied for their population dynamics in forest soils.
Tullbergia arctica
Tullbergia arctica is a species of springtail (Collembola) in the family Tullbergiidae, described by Wahlgren in 1900. The species is distributed across Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including northern Eurasia and North America. As a member of the Poduromorpha, it belongs to a group of soil-dwelling hexapods adapted to cold environments.
Vertagopus
Vertagopus is a genus of springtails in the family Isotomidae, comprising approximately 30 described species distributed across arctic, alpine, and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus includes both widespread and geographically restricted species, with some showing strict alpine specializations. Certain species, such as V. sarekensis, are notable for forming large aggregations and exhibiting coordinated group migration behaviors. The genus has been subject to recent taxonomic revision in eastern Siberia, where new species continue to be described.
Vertagopus arboreus
Vertagopus arboreus is a species of elongate-bodied springtail in the family Isotomidae. It is widely distributed across northern Eurasia and parts of Asia. The species is associated with arboreal and ground-level habitats in forested environments. Taxonomic status varies between sources, with some authorities treating it as a synonym of Vertagopus asiaticus.