Glossary

Plain definitions for the words used on this site. On any page, a dotted word opens its meaning where you read it.

Showing 51 of 51

• Abdomen

  Anatomy

  The hind part of the body, made of five segments and a small end piece. It carries the collophore, the retinaculum and the furca.

  Expert source 1, 2

  See also: Thorax, Trunk

• Accepted name

  Taxonomy Also called: valid name

  The name a reference work currently treats as correct for a taxon. Two works can disagree, so this site shows which one it follows.

  Expert source 1, 3

  See also: Synonym

• aff.

  Taxonomy Also called: aff, affinis

  Short for 'affinis', meaning 'related to'. It usually flags an animal that is close to a named species but probably not the same one.

  Like cf., aff. has no single agreed meaning (Sigovini and colleagues 2016). This site treats it as unconfirmed and likely distinct.

  Peer-reviewed 4

  See also: Open nomenclature, cf., sp.

• Anal spines

  Anatomy Also called: anal spine

  Raised spines on the last abdominal segment, near the anus. Some springtails have them and some do not.

  Expert source 2

• Antenna

  Anatomy Also called: antennae

  One of the two feelers on the head. Each has four main segments, and some species divide these into many smaller sections.

  Expert source 1

• BIN

  Methods Also called: Barcode Index Number

  Barcode Index Number. A code that groups similar COI barcodes into one working unit. A BIN is not a species name, but it can flag a species that carries two names.

  Peer-reviewed 5

  See also: COI barcode

• Bioactive

  Husbandry Also called: bioactive enclosure, bioactive vivarium

  A planted enclosure with soil and a cleanup crew, so that waste breaks down inside it instead of being removed by hand.

  Hobby consensus 6–8

  See also: Cleanup crew

• cf.

  Taxonomy Also called: cf, confer

  Latin for 'compare with'. 'Folsomia cf. candida' means the animal resembles F. candida but the identification is not confirmed. This site always reads cf. as unconfirmed.

  Authors use cf. in slightly different ways, and there is no agreed rule (Sigovini and colleagues 2016). Springtails US uses it the same way for hobby cultures, to mark a species level name that is still tentative.

  Peer-reviewed 4, 9

  See also: Open nomenclature, aff., sp.

• Chaeta

  Anatomy Also called: chaetae, seta, setae, bristle, bristles

  A bristle or hair on the body that sits in a small socket. Their number, length and position help to tell species apart.

  Expert source 2, 10

  See also: Macrochaeta, Chaetotaxy

• Chaetotaxy

  Anatomy

  The arrangement of bristles on the body. Specialists name each bristle, and the pattern can separate species that look alike.

  Expert source 2, 11

  See also: Chaeta, S-chaeta

• Character

  Identification

  A feature you can check on an animal, such as whether it has eyes or scales. Each character has states, for example present or absent.

  Peer-reviewed 10

• Claw

  Anatomy Also called: unguis

  The claw at the tip of each leg, called the unguis. Many springtails also have a smaller inner claw or a small pad beside it.

  Expert source 1

• Cleanup crew

  Husbandry Also called: clean-up crew, CUC

  Small animals kept in an enclosure to eat mold, waste and dead plant matter. Springtails and isopods are the usual choices.

  Hobby consensus 6, 8, 12

  See also: Bioactive

• COI barcode

  Methods Also called: DNA barcode, barcode, COI

  A short piece of mitochondrial DNA, the COI gene, that labs read to help identify an animal. A match suggests a name, but a barcode alone does not settle one.

  Peer-reviewed 5, 13

  See also: BIN

• Collembola

  Taxonomy Also called: springtail, springtails

  The class of animals called springtails. They are small, wingless and six-legged, and their mouthparts sit inside the head. Most carry a folded jumping organ under the body.

  Expert source 1

  See also: Furca

• Collophore

  Anatomy Also called: ventral tube

  A small tube on the underside of the first abdominal segment with two soft bulbs that can be pushed out. It helps the animal keep its water balance and cling to smooth surfaces.

  The name Collembola comes from this organ. Lubbock coined it in 1870 for the glue-like attachment the tube was thought to give. In Anurida, which has no furca, the bulbs can stick to the water film and bend it like a spring, which launches the animal into the air.

  Expert source 1, 2

• Colour morph

  Identification Also called: colour form, color morph, color form

  A colour form of one species. Some species vary a great deal in colour and pattern, so colour alone cannot prove a separate species.

  Katz (2015) found that the dorsal colour pattern of Entomobrya assuta is highly variable and often has no clear discrete forms. This site never treats a colour morph as a taxon.

  Peer-reviewed 10

• Culture

  Husbandry Also called: cultures, colony

  A colony of springtails kept on purpose in a container, usually in damp substrate with regular food. On this site a culture also means a line of animals that keepers pass around under one name.

  A culture is not a species. One culture can hold one species, a mix of species, or an animal nobody has identified. The site keeps the culture, the name it is sold under and the species it most likely holds as three separate things.

  Hobby consensus 6–8

  See also: Trade name, Working name

• Dens

  Anatomy Also called: dentes

  One of the two arms of the furca. It runs from the manubrium to the small tip (mucro). The plural is dentes.

  Expert source 2

  See also: Furca, Mucro

• Eyepatch

  Anatomy Also called: eye patch, ocellar spot

  The patch on each side of the head that holds the eyes. It is usually dark, which makes it easy to find with a loupe.

  In Entomobrya the number of small bristles inside the eyepatch, between three and six, helps to separate some species. Five is the most common count (Katz 2015).

  Peer-reviewed 2, 10

  See also: Ocellus

• Family

  Taxonomy Also called: families

  A group of related genera. Animal family names end in -idae, as in Isotomidae and Entomobryidae.

  Expert source 14

  See also: Genus

• Feeder culture

  Husbandry Also called: feeder, feeders

  A culture kept to feed other animals, such as small frogs, instead of to live in an enclosure.

  Hobby consensus 6–8

  See also: Culture

• Furca

  Anatomy Also called: furcula, jumping organ, springing organ

  The forked jumping organ folded under the body. A base piece (manubrium) carries two arms (dentes), and each arm ends in a small tip (mucro). Some springtails have a short furca or none.

  The furca is attached to the fourth abdominal segment. At rest it is flexed forward and held in place by the retinaculum. When the animal jumps, the clasp lets go and the furca snaps down against the ground. Several groups have lost the furca or reduced it, so a missing or short furca is a clue and not a mistake. Zhang and colleagues (2015) found that the shape of the furca is a poor guide to family level relationships in the Entomobryoidea.

  Expert source 1, 2

• Genus

  Taxonomy Also called: genera

  A group of closely related species. It is the first word of a scientific name, as in Folsomia.

  Expert source 14

  See also: Species, Family

• Habitus

  Identification

  The overall shape and look of an animal, such as slender, plump or globular. It is the first thing to judge, before any fine detail.

  Expert source 1, 2

• Instar

  Ecology Also called: instars

  A growth stage between two moults. Springtails keep moulting after they reach adult size, so one animal passes through many instars.

  Folsomia candida females in the classic life history study passed through about 30 instars at 15 °C59 °F and 21 °C70 °F and about 16 at 26 °C79 °F (Snider and Butcher 1973). Eggs were laid in alternating instars.

  Peer-reviewed 2, 15

  See also: Moult

• Macrochaeta

  Anatomy Also called: macrochaetae, macroseta, macrosetae

  A long, strong bristle. The pattern of long bristles on the head and body is one of the main features specialists compare.

  Expert source 2, 10

  See also: Chaeta, Chaetotaxy

• Manubrium

  Anatomy

  The base piece of the furca. It joins the abdomen at one end and the two arms (dentes) at the other.

  Expert source 2

  See also: Furca, Dens

• Moult

  Ecology Also called: moulting, molt, molting, ecdysis

  The shedding of the outer skin so that the animal can grow.

  Expert source 2

  See also: Instar

• Mouthcone

  Anatomy Also called: buccal cone, mouth cone

  The snout at the front of the head, formed by the upper and lower lips. It sits low on the front of the head and is flattened rather than truly conical.

  Expert source 2

• Mucro

  Anatomy

  The small tip at the end of each arm of the furca. Specialists describe its teeth and shape in detail.

  Expert source 2

  See also: Furca, Dens

• Ocellus

  Anatomy Also called: ocelli

  One of the single eyes that together make up the eye on each side of the head. A side carries at most eight, and some springtails have none.

  Expert source 1, 2

  See also: Eyepatch

• Open nomenclature

  Taxonomy

  The set of qualifiers such as cf., aff. and sp. that mark an identification as uncertain or provisional. They have no single agreed meaning, so each use needs a clear definition.

  Peer-reviewed 4

  See also: cf., aff., sp.

• Parthenogenesis

  Ecology Also called: parthenogenetic

  Reproduction without a male. Folsomia candida reproduces this way, so a single isolated female can produce offspring.

  Peer-reviewed 15, 16

• Postantennal organ

  Anatomy Also called: PAO, post-antennal organ

  A small sensory organ just behind the base of each antenna. You need a microscope to see it, and some springtails do not have one.

  Expert source 1, 2

• Pseudocellus

  Anatomy Also called: pseudocelli

  A small round or oval spot on the skin ringed by a raised rim. It probably releases a fluid that repels predators, and it has nothing to do with sight.

  Expert source 2

• Retinaculum

  Anatomy Also called: tenaculum

  A small forked clasp under the third abdominal segment. It holds the folded furca in place until the springtail jumps.

  Expert source 1, 2

  See also: Furca

• S-chaeta

  Anatomy Also called: S-chaetae, S-chaetotaxy

  A special bristle on the back that is smooth, blunt and more see-through than ordinary bristles. Its pattern is a strong guide to relationships in the Entomobryoidea.

  Zhang and colleagues (2015) tested traditional features against DNA. S-chaetae gave a much clearer signal than the furca or the scales, which have changed several times within the group.

  Peer-reviewed 17

  See also: Chaeta, Scales

• Scales

  Anatomy Also called: scale

  Flat, overlapping plates on the body of some springtails. They rub off easily, and they give some species an iridescent shine.

  Scales appeared more than once in the Entomobryoidea, so having them is not a reliable sign of close relationship (Zhang 2015). They come off easily, so a rubbed animal can look bare even when its species normally has them.

  Peer-reviewed 2, 17

• Sexual dimorphism

  Identification

  Males and females that look different. In Entomobrya atrocincta the sexes differ in both colour pattern and body shape.

  Peer-reviewed 10

• sp.

  Taxonomy Also called: sp, spp

  Short for 'species' when the species is not identified. 'Lobella sp.' means an animal placed in the genus Lobella without a species name.

  Peer-reviewed 4

  See also: Open nomenclature, cf., aff.

• Species

  Taxonomy

  The basic unit of biological naming. A species has a two part scientific name made of its genus and a species word, such as Folsomia candida.

  Expert source 14

  See also: Genus, Family

• Species complex

  Taxonomy Also called: cryptic species, cryptic speciation

  A group of animals that look almost the same but may be several species. DNA often shows the split before anyone can see it.

  Folsomia candida is a well studied case. Genomes of two lineages differ enough that Luan and colleagues (2023) describe cryptic speciation inside the standard laboratory species.

  Peer-reviewed 13

• Substrate

  Husbandry

  The material the animals live in and on, such as soil, charcoal, clay or plaster. It holds moisture and gives them somewhere to hide.

  Hobby consensus 6, 8, 12

• Synonym

  Taxonomy Also called: synonyms

  A second scientific name for the same taxon. Only one name is valid, and the older one usually wins. A trade name or a spelling mistake is not a synonym.

  Expert source 14

  See also: Accepted name

• Taxon

  Taxonomy Also called: taxa

  A named group of organisms at any level, such as a species, a genus or a family.

  Expert source 14

• Thorax

  Anatomy

  The three body segments behind the head. Each one carries a pair of legs.

  Expert source 1

  See also: Abdomen, Trunk

• Trade name

  Husbandry Also called: common name, hobby name

  The name a seller or keeper uses for a culture, such as 'Tropical Pink'. One trade name can point to one species, to several species, or to a past mix-up.

  The same animal can carry several trade names, and one trade name can be used for more than one species. This site gives every trade name its own page and lists the species it may refer to, with a level of confidence.

  Anecdotal 9

  See also: Working name, Culture

• Trunk

  Anatomy

  The body behind the head. It is the thorax and the abdomen together.

  Expert source 1

  See also: Thorax, Abdomen

• Tubercle

  Anatomy Also called: tubercles

  A raised bump on the skin, often carrying bristles. Some springtails have prominent tubercles that give them a bumpy, knobbly look.

  Expert source 2

• Working name

  Taxonomy

  The best name this site can give an animal today, such as 'Isotomurus cf. louisiana'. It can change when an expert studies the animal.

  Anecdotal 9

  See also: cf., Trade name

Sources

1. 1

   Checklist of the Collembola of the World

   Bellinger PF, Christiansen KA, Janssens F

   Link works · Authoritative database

   Cited at Introduction, external anatomy; Introduction; Introduction, etymology.

2. 2

   Checklist of the Collembola: Glossary of Morphological Terms

   Janssens F

   Link works · Authoritative database

   Cited at s.v. abdomen; s.v. anal spine; s.v. seta; s.v. chaetotaxy; s.v. collophore; s.v. dens; s.v. eye patch; s.v. furca; s.v. habitus; s.v. instar; s.v. macrochaeta; s.v. manubrium; s.v. moult; s.v. buccal cone; s.v. mucro; s.v. ocellus; s.v. postantennal organ; s.v. pseudocellus; s.v. tenaculum; s.v. scale; s.v. dorsolateral tubercles.

3. 3

   GBIF Backbone Taxonomy

   GBIF Secretariat. 2023. GBIF

   Verified against a registry · Authoritative database

4. 4

   Open Nomenclature in the biodiversity era

   Sigovini M, Keppel E, Tagliapietra D. 2016. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 7(10): 1217-1225

   Verified against a registry · Peer-reviewed review

   Cited at Abstract.

5. 5

   A DNA-Based Registry for All Animal Species: The Barcode Index Number (BIN) System

   Ratnasingham S, Hebert PDN. 2013. PLoS ONE 8(7): e66213

   Verified against a registry · Peer-reviewed paper

   Cited at Abstract.

6. 6

   Temperate Springtails Care Guide (Folsomia candida)

   PostPods

   Link works · Retailer

7. 7

   How To: Starting a White Springtail Feeder Culture on Clay

   MI Beneficials

   Link works · Retailer

8. 8

   Springtail Care & Breeding Information

   New England Herpetoculture

   Link works · Retailer

9. 9

   Springtail Identification and Common Name Resource

   Pavy R. Springtails US

   Link works · Retailer

   Cited at Green Water Springtail entry; Common names; Name changes.

10. 10

    Taxonomic review and phylogenetic analysis of fifteen North American Entomobrya (Collembola, Entomobryidae), including four new species

    Katz AD, Giordano R, Soto-Adames F. 2015. ZooKeys 525: 1-75

    Verified against a registry · Peer-reviewed paper

    Cited at Methods, eye patch setae; Methods, characters; Entomobrya assuta, description; Entomobrya atrocincta, description.

11. 11

    Intraspecific Phenotypic Variation and Morphological Divergence of Strains of Folsomia candida (Willem) (Collembola: Isotomidae), the "Standard" Test Springtail

    Tully T, Potapov M. 2015. PLOS ONE 10(9): e0136047

    Verified against a registry · Peer-reviewed paper

    Cited at Methods.

12. 12

    Springtail Care Sheet

    Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

13. 13

    High-quality genomes reveal significant genetic divergence and cryptic speciation in the model organism Folsomia candida (Collembola)

    Luan Y, Cui Y, Chen W, Jin J, Liu A, Huang C, Potapov M, Bu Y, Zhan S, Zhang F, Li S. 2023. Molecular Ecology Resources 23(1): 273-293

    Verified against a registry · Peer-reviewed paper

    Cited at Abstract.

14. 14

    International Code of Zoological Nomenclature

    International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature

    Link works · Official standard

    Cited at Article 29, family-group names; Article 5, binominal nomenclature; Glossary.

15. 15

    The Life History of Folsomia Candida (Willem) (Collembola: Isotomidae) Relative to Temperature

    Snider RM, Butcher JW. 1973. The Great Lakes Entomologist 6(4)

    Verified against a registry · Peer-reviewed paper

    Cited at Longevity and mortality; Materials and methods.

16. 16

    Folsomia candida (Collembola): a "standard" soil arthropod

    Fountain MT, Hopkin SP. 2005. Annual Review of Entomology 50(1): 201-222

    Verified against a registry · Peer-reviewed review

    Cited at Abstract.

17. 17

    Molecular phylogeny supports S-chaetae as a key character better than jumping organs and body scales in classification of Entomobryoidea (Collembola)

    Zhang F, Sun DD, Yu DY, Wang BX. 2015. Scientific Reports 5(1)

    Verified against a registry · Peer-reviewed paper

    Cited at Introduction and Results; Introduction.