Springtails form the largest of three lineages of modern hexapods no longer classified as true insects, alongside the Protura and Diplura. The three groups are sometimes grouped together as the Entognatha because their mouthparts are enclosed within the head, but this shared trait does not necessarily mean they are more closely related to one another than each is to the insects, which have externally exposed mouthparts. More than 9,000 springtail species are known worldwide.
Facts
Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceNormally less than 6 mm long, with six or fewer abdominal segments and a tubular appendage (the collophore or ventral tube). 1 Scientific Name Connections
Sources
1. Springtail, Wikipedia
Lead paragraph
Springtails (class Collembola) form the largest of the three lineages of modern hexapods that are no longer considered insects
Morphology
Members of the Collembola are normally less than 6 mm (0.24 in) long, have six or fewer abdominal segments, and possess a tubular appendage (the collophore or ventral tube)
diet-classification (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
Springtails are omnivorous, free-living organisms that prefer moist conditions.
View the SourceCatalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: ArthropodaView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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