more closely related to one another than they are to insects, which have external mouthparts. There are more than 9000 species.

Springtails are omnivorous, free-living organisms that prefer moist conditions. They do not directly engage in the decomposition of organic matter, but contribute to it indirectly through the fragmentation of organic matter and the control of soil microbial communities. The word Collembola is from the Ancient Greek ????? meaning 'glue' and ?u????? meaning 'peg';