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Springtails Springtails get their name from a special appendage on their abdomens. This appendage, called the furcula enables springtails to jump through the air nearly 100 times the length of their own bodies. They mate during spring and can lay hundreds of eggs. Since they are immune to the cold, they are often seen in late winter/early spring once the snow begins to melt.<br /> <br /> I spotted thousands of these springtails in the woods today - they were all over rocks, rotting wood, trees, and leaf litter. Everything was very wet from snow melt and recent rain. I&#039;m wondering if food sources for these insects is scarce right now, or if they normally engage in cannibalism because I spotted several groups clustered together eating each other. <br /> <br /> They were approximately 1mm long. Collembola,Geotagged,Hypogastrura,Hypogastrura nivicola,Snow flea,Springtails,United States,Winter,snow flea,springtail Click/tap to enlarge

Springtails

Springtails get their name from a special appendage on their abdomens. This appendage, called the furcula enables springtails to jump through the air nearly 100 times the length of their own bodies. They mate during spring and can lay hundreds of eggs. Since they are immune to the cold, they are often seen in late winter/early spring once the snow begins to melt.

I spotted thousands of these springtails in the woods today - they were all over rocks, rotting wood, trees, and leaf litter. Everything was very wet from snow melt and recent rain. I'm wondering if food sources for these insects is scarce right now, or if they normally engage in cannibalism because I spotted several groups clustered together eating each other.

They were approximately 1mm long.

    comments (2)

  1. View Gary B's profile
    Gary B
    Lion
    View Lion class
    When springtails gather in big masses like these in the early spring it is more about mating than getting food. Posted 6 years ago
    1. View Christine Young's profile
      Christine Young
      Lion
      View Lion class
      Exactly! When I spotted these, there were numerous groups that were engaged in intraspecific predation (eating each other), which is why I made the above note about cannibalism:
      Springtails Exhibiting Intraspecific Predation Snow fleas are not a type of flea. Neither are they insects. Rather, they are arthropods that belong to the class Entognatha. During most of the year they live in the soil and leaf litter where they consume fungi and decaying vegetation. They are actually crucial decomposers! On warm winter days, they often appear on the surface of the snow and since they are tiny (~1mm) like fleas, they are referred to as "snow fleas". Their migrations from the soil/leaf litter to the snow may be triggered by overcrowding or lack of food. They do not have wings, but instead have tail-like projections called furcula, which are held like a spring on the bottom of their abdomens. When a snow flea wants to move, the furcula springs down and catapults the snow flea as far as 100 times its body length! Furthermore, snow fleas in the genus Hypogastrura have three anal sacs, which they evert just before jumping. These sacs are thought to serve as sticky air bags, which prevent the snow fleas from bouncing around randomly when it lands. Pretty amazing biology! <br /> <br /> I spotted thousands of these springtails in the woods - they were all over rocks, rotting wood, trees, and leaf litter. Everything was very wet from snow melt and recent rain. Snow fleas are one of the most numerous land animals, with several hundred thousand possibly living in one cubic yard, but it was still a surprise to see as many as I did!<br /> <br /> I'm wondering if food sources for these creatures are scarce right now, or if they normally engage in cannibalism because I spotted several groups clustered together eating each other, thus exhibiting a type of cannibalism called Intraspecific Predation. <br /> Geotagged,Hypogastrura,Hypogastrura nivicola,United States,Winter,cannibalism,collembola,intraspecific predation,snow flea,springtail
       Posted 6 years ago

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The Snow flea

Snow fleas are a species of dark blue springtail, ''Hypogastrura nivicola''. They are often seen jumping about on the surface of snow on a warm winter day.

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Similar species: Poduromorpha
Species identified by Christine Young
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By Christine Young

All rights reserved
Uploaded Feb 25, 2018. Captured Feb 24, 2018 12:38 in 80 Main St, Sharon, CT 06069, USA.
country flag of United States of America Explore United States of America 39,926 9,640 8
  • Canon EOS 80D
  • f/2.8
  • 1/166s
  • ISO1250
  • 100mm
Captured in the winter. More winter photos.