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Springtail Identification and Common Name Resource

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Pavy R. Springtails US

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Origin: springtails-us
Last opened: Oct 22, 2026

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How it was checked

Checked on Oct 22, 2026 by a web request. The registry returned: Up to Date Springtail Identification and Common Name Resource.

Where this source is used

Cited by 214 statements

24K Springtails

The seller lists Lepidocyrtus cinereus as the 24K Springtails. The seller adds that the identification may need to change after further scrutiny. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus cinereus "24K Springtails")

Arrhopalites caecus

A white globular springtail from the cave springtail group, identified to species by microscopy after it entered the hobby as an unnamed family member. (at Globular Cave Springtails)
It entered the hobby in December 2021 as Arrhopalitidae sp. The seller later reached species level by microscopy, an identification posted on BugGuide, and a collembologist who examined the stock confirmed it. (at Globular Cave Springtails)
Springtails US also calls it the White Globular Springtail, so the animal looks white. (at Globular Cave Springtails)

Belted Springtail

The seller lists Orchesella cincta as the Belted Springtail and notes the common name Giant Belted Springtail. (at hobby name list, Orchesella cincta "Belted Springtail")

Bilobella aurantiaca

The seller says stock sold as Bilobella aurantiaca is the same Orange Springtail, now identified as Yuukianura aphoruroides. (at hobby name list, Yuukianura aphoruroides "Orange Springtail")
The seller says stock sold as Bilobella aurantiaca is the same Orange Springtail, now identified as Yuukianura aphoruroides. (at hobby name list, Yuukianura aphoruroides "Orange Springtail")
The seller has seen no evidence of real Bilobella being sold anywhere in the world. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)

Bilobella braunerae

The seller says Yuukianura aphoruroides is the definitive identification for all springtails previously sold as Bilobella or Protanura. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)
The seller has seen no evidence of real Bilobella being sold anywhere in the world. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)
The stock was sold as Bilobella braunerae from 2022. Frans Janssens of collembola.org first read photographs as Protanura sp., and microscopy then confirmed Yuukianura aphoruroides. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)

Blacklight Springtail

The seller lists Lepidocyrtus violaceus as the Blacklight Springtail. It was sold earlier as Lepidocyrtus sp. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus violaceus "Blacklight Springtail")

Blue Podura Springtail

The seller lists Proisotoma minuta as the Blue Podura Springtail. It was sold under the common name alone until a scientific name was assigned. (at hobby name list, Proisotoma minuta "Blue Podura Springtail")

Blue Velvet Springtail

The seller lists Desoria trispinata as the Blue Velvet Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Desoria trispinata "Blue Velvet Springtail")
Two locales exist in United States hobby culture. The seller says they are indistinguishable. (at hobby name list, Desoria trispinata "Blue Velvet Springtail")

Bylas Ant Springtail

The seller lists Pseudosinella violenta as the Bylas Ant Springtail. A Florida state entomologist and the seller confirmed it, and a collembologist later examined the stock. (at Scientific name changes, Bylas Ant Springtail)
The seller lists Pseudosinella violenta as the Bylas Ant Springtail. A Florida state entomologist and the seller confirmed it, and a collembologist later examined the stock. (at Scientific name changes, Bylas Ant Springtail)
The stock was introduced under the name Cyphoderus. Microscopy showed it is Pseudosinella, a genus that looks very similar. (at Scientific name changes, Bylas Ant Springtail)
Roach Crossing introduced the stock as Cyphoderus. Microscopy showed it was Pseudosinella, and further microscopy gave Pseudosinella violenta. (at Scientific name changes, Bylas Ant Springtail)
The seller separated it from Cyphoderus under the microscope. The animal has no eyes, the unguiculus has a distinctly large outer tooth, the setae in the labial triangle are smooth, thoracic segment 2 is marginally wider than segment 3, and the setae of the segment 2 collar are long. (at Scientific name changes, Bylas Ant Springtail)

Ceratophysella isabellae

A lilac springtail sold since the hobby gave up the name Purple Springtail, in colour morphs called F1, Yellow Albino and White Albino. (at Ceratophysella sp Purple Springtails)
A lilac springtail sold since the hobby gave up the name Purple Springtail, in colour morphs called F1, Yellow Albino and White Albino. (at Ceratophysella sp Purple Springtails)
It was sold as Ceratophysella sp. Purple Springtail, then Lilac Springtail, then named Ceratophysella isabellae. Many hobbyists wanted the name purple kept for truly purple species, and the seller says lilac is closer to the true colour. A collembologist who examined the stock confirmed the species, though the seller says the identification may change with time. (at Ceratophysella sp Purple Springtails)
The seller calls the colour lilac and says it is closer to the true colour than purple. (at Ceratophysella sp Purple Springtails)
Springtails US lists three colour morphs of this species, F1, Yellow Albino and White Albino. Other names it goes by are Purple Springtail and Purple Podura. (at hobby name list, Ceratophysella isabellae)

cf.

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. (at Green Water Springtail entry)

Coecobrya tenebricosa

The Tropical Pink and Tropical White springtail of the hobby, a pale, fast-breeding species long sold under the wrong name Sinella curviseta. (at Tropical Pink/White springtails)
Cultures are sold as Tropical Pink and Tropical White. The two names describe the same animal and the body colour ranges from white to a pale pink tint. (at Tropical Pink/White springtails)
The hobby sold these cultures for years as Sinella. Springtails US reports that a collembologist determined them to be Coecobrya tenebricosa, and that Sinella curviseta is not the proper name of the widespread hobby species. (at Tropical Pink/White springtails)
Folsomia candida is sometimes sold as Tropical White, so the name alone does not tell you which species you have. (at Tropical Pink/White springtails)

Common Bull Springtail

The seller lists Tomocerus vulgaris as the Common Bull Springtail. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus vulgaris "Common Bull Springtail")
The seller says some stock sold as Tomocerus vulgaris is actually Tomocerus minor. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")
Tomocerus minor has tridentate dental spines and Tomocerus vulgaris does not. The seller advises selling stock under these names only after microscopy, and buying only from sellers who can trace the stock back to a microscope identification. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")
Tomocerus minor has tridentate dental spines and Tomocerus vulgaris does not. The seller advises selling stock under these names only after microscopy, and buying only from sellers who can trace the stock back to a microscope identification. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")

Common White

Folsomia candida has sometimes been sold as Tropical White, a name that belongs with the pale form of Coecobrya tenebricosa. Springtails US says it should not continue to be sold under that name. (at hobby name list, Folsomia candida Temperate Common White Springtail)

Common White Springtail

The seller lists Folsomia candida as the Temperate or Common White Springtail and says both common names are valid. (at hobby name list, Folsomia candida Temperate / Common White Springtail)
The species has also been sold as Collembola sp. and, wrongly, as Tropical White. It is rarely sold with a locality, except for traced and pure lineages. (at hobby name list, Folsomia candida Temperate / Common White Springtail)

Cotton Springtail

The seller lists Entomobrya unostrigata as the Cotton Springtail and notes the common name Arid Cotton Springtail. (at hobby name list, Entomobrya unostrigata "Cotton Springtail")

Cyphoderus sp.

The Bylas Ant stock was introduced as Cyphoderus. Microscopy showed it is Pseudosinella, and further microscopy gave Pseudosinella violenta. (at Scientific name changes, Bylas Ant Springtail)
The seller also lists a real Cyphoderus species, Cyphoderus similis, as the White Ant Springtail. (at hobby name list, Cyphoderus similis "White Ant Springtail")
The seller separated the Bylas stock from Cyphoderus under the microscope. The animal has no eyes, the unguiculus has a distinctly large outer tooth, the setae in the labial triangle are smooth, thoracic segment 2 is marginally wider than segment 3, and the setae of the segment 2 collar are long. (at Scientific name changes, Bylas Ant Springtail)

Damp Grain Springtail

The seller lists Willowsia buski as the Damp Grain Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Willowsia buski "Damp Grain Springtail")

Desoria trispinata

A blue-grey springtail sold as the Blue Velvet Springtail. Two US hobby cultures exist and nobody can tell them apart. (at hobby name list, Desoria trispinata)
Springtails US says it has not been sold under another name, and that its two US localities look the same. (at hobby name list, Desoria trispinata)
The hobby name Blue Velvet points to a blue-grey animal with a velvet look. (at hobby name list, Desoria trispinata)

Dimorphic Springtail

The seller lists Entomobrya atrocincta as the Dimorphic Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Entomobrya atrocincta "Dimorphic Springtail")

Entomobrya assuta

Springtails US sold its Varicolored stock as Entomobrya confusa, then as Entomobrya assuta var. nov. A collembologist who examined it said it keys out to another species by colour pattern, but its setae are completely different and it looks like a patternless form of E. assuta. Its two main colours, yellowish brown and greyish blue, match the two backgrounds reported for Illinois populations. The seller notes that wild E. assuta from Illinois with the usual pattern behaved differently, and plans DNA sequencing. (at Entomobrya sp Compost Springtail)

Entomobrya atrocincta

Springtails US lists it as the Dimorphic Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at species list)

Entomobrya confusa

The Varicolored stock was sold as Entomobrya confusa until 2026, when a collembologist read it as a patternless form of Entomobrya assuta. (at hobby name list, Entomobrya assuta var. nov. "Varicolored Springtail")

Entomobrya griseoolivata

The Grizzled stock was sold as Entomobrya griseoolivata until 2026, when it was moved to Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis. (at hobby name list, Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis "Olive Springtail" or "Grizzled Springtail")

Entomobrya multifasciata

Springtails US lists it as the Little Tiger Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at species list)

Entomobrya sp. Silver

Specimens from Iheartbugs went to a Florida state entomologist, who gave the new identification Seira dowlingi. (at Scientific name changes, Entomobrya sp "Silver")
Specimens from Iheartbugs went to a Florida state entomologist, who gave the new identification Seira dowlingi. (at Scientific name changes, Entomobrya sp "Silver")
The stock had long been known to need an identification change. (at Scientific name changes, Entomobrya sp "Silver")

Entomobrya unostrigata

Springtails US lists it as the Cotton Springtail and says it has also been sold as the Arid Cotton Springtail. (at species list)

Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis

It was sold as Entomobrya griseoolivata. A 2026 update moved it to Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis. The seller says the old name was way off, and that Entomobryoides fits because the species is much larger than a typical Entomobrya. The cf. means the species-level name is still tentative. (at hobby name list, Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis)
Hobby names are the Olive Springtail and the Grizzled Springtail, so the animal looks olive with a grizzled texture. (at Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis "Olive Springtail" or "Grizzled Springtail")

Entomobryoides purpurascens

It was sold as Entomobrya sp. Wood Runner Springtail. In 2026 a collembologist identified it as Entomobryoides purpurascens. The seller notes the species is fairly widely sold, so the old name will linger. (at hobby name list, Entomobryoides purpurascens)

Florida Orange Locality

This stock was sold as Neanura growae, the Florida Orange Springtail. The name came from a collembologist looking at online images, assuming a United States animal was a North American species. In 2026 the seller replaced it with Yuukianura aphoruroides Florida Orange Locality and says it is a different line from the Spanish Orange stock. (at Florida Orange Springtail)

Florida Orange Springtail

In 2026 the seller replaced the old name with Yuukianura aphoruroides Florida Orange Locality. The stock came from a naturalised population in the United States. (at hobby name list, Yuukianura aphoruroides "Florida Orange Locality")
The old name came from a collembologist looking at online images and assuming a United States animal was a North American species. No microscope work supported it, and the seller now calls it a mistake. (at Scientific name changes, Florida Orange Springtail)

Giant Blue Springtail

The seller lists Tetrodontophora bielanensis as the Giant Blue Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Tetrodontophora bielanensis "Giant Blue Springtail")

Giant Runner Springtail

The seller lists Tomocerus minor as the Giant Runner Springtail. The stock exists in culture with both the proper identification and an improper one. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")
Stock sold as Tomocerus vulgaris is sometimes really Tomocerus minor, so the two names get swapped in both directions. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")
Tomocerus minor has tridentate dental spines and Tomocerus vulgaris does not. The seller advises selling stock under these names only after microscopy, and buying only from sellers who can trace the stock back to a microscope identification. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")
Tomocerus minor has tridentate dental spines and Tomocerus vulgaris does not. The seller advises selling stock under these names only after microscopy, and buying only from sellers who can trace the stock back to a microscope identification. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")

Giant Silver Bullet Springtail

The seller lists Pogonognathellus dubius as the GSB or Giant Silver Bullet Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Pogonognathellus dubius "GSB/Giant Silver Bullet Springtail")
Giant Silver is a common name of Tomocerus vulgaris. A short or abbreviated label can be read either way. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus vulgaris "Common Bull Springtail")

Giant Silver Springtail

The seller lists Giant Silver Springtail as another common name for Tomocerus vulgaris. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus vulgaris "Common Bull Springtail")
In some cases springtails sold as Tomocerus vulgaris are actually Tomocerus minor. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")
Giant Silver Bullet is the name of another large tomocerid culture. The names overlap and a short label may be misread. (at hobby name list, Pogonognathellus dubius "GSB/Giant Silver Bullet Springtail")
Tomocerus minor has tridentate dental spines and Tomocerus vulgaris does not. The seller advises selling stock under these names only after microscopy, and buying only from sellers who can trace the stock back to a microscope identification. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")
Tomocerus minor has tridentate dental spines and Tomocerus vulgaris does not. The seller advises selling stock under these names only after microscopy, and buying only from sellers who can trace the stock back to a microscope identification. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")

Godzilla Springtail

The seller lists Isotoma delta and says it has been sold under the common name Godzilla Springtail. (at hobby name list, Isotoma delta)

Green Water Springtail

The stock was sold as Isotomurus retardatus. The seller says the old identification was hard to obtain and the new one is also uncertain. (at hobby name list, Isotomurus cf. louisiana "Green Water Springtail")

Grizzled Springtail

The 2026 identification is Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis. The cf. marks that the match is tentative. (at hobby name list, Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis "Olive Springtail" or "Grizzled Springtail")
The stock was sold under both common names and as Entomobrya griseoolivata. In 2026 the seller moved it to Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis. (at hobby name list, Entomobryoides cf. dissimilis "Olive Springtail" or "Grizzled Springtail")

Isotomurus cf. louisiana

It was sold as Isotomurus retardatus. The seller moved it to Isotomurus cf. louisiana in 2026 and says the new name also lacks total certainty, hence the cf. (at Green Water Springtail Isotomurus retardatus)
The hobby name Green Water Springtail points to a green animal. (at Green Water Springtail Isotomurus retardatus)

Isotomurus retardatus

The Green Water stock was sold as Isotomurus retardatus until 2026, when it was moved to Isotomurus cf. louisiana. (at hobby name list, Isotomurus cf. louisiana "Green Water Springtail")

Lepidocyrtus sp. 'Micro Gold'

A small golden Lepidocyrtus that one seller has proven in potted plants, where it roams onto dry soil between waterings. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus sp Micro Gold Springtail)
Springtails US says it has also been sold as the Gold Springtail. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus sp Micro Gold Springtail)
The hobby names Micro Gold and Gold point to a golden animal. (at Lepidocyrtus sp Micro Gold Springtail)

Lepidocyrtus sp. 'Pearlescent'

A scaled Lepidocyrtus with a pearly sheen. It has no species name and the seller has not sold it under another name. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus sp Pearlescent Springtail)
Springtails US says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus sp Pearlescent Springtail)

Lepidocyrtus violaceus

A violet scaled springtail sold as the Blacklight Springtail, first labelled Lepidocyrtus sp. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus violaceus Blacklight Springtail)
Springtails US says it was sold as Lepidocyrtus sp. before the species name was applied. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus violaceus Blacklight Springtail)
The species name violaceus and the common name Blacklight both point to a violet animal. (at Lepidocyrtus violaceus Blacklight Springtail)

Lilac Springtail

A collembologist examined the stock and gave Ceratophysella isabellae. The seller says the identification may change with time. (at Species plus common name changes, Ceratophysella sp "Purple Springtails" to "Lilac Springtails")
A collembologist examined the stock and gave Ceratophysella isabellae. The seller says the identification may change with time. (at Species plus common name changes, Ceratophysella sp "Purple Springtails" to "Lilac Springtails")
The stock was first sold as Ceratophysella sp. Purple Springtails. Many hobbyists decided Purple should stay free for truly purple species that have not yet entered the hobby, and that Lilac describes the true colour better. (at Species plus common name changes, Ceratophysella sp "Purple Springtails" to "Lilac Springtails")

Little Soil Springtail

Dr. Ernest Bernard keyed the stock to Thalassaphorura encarpata. It was sold earlier as Onychiurinae sp. (at Scientific name changes, Little Soil Springtail)
Dr. Ernest Bernard keyed the stock to Thalassaphorura encarpata. It was sold earlier as Onychiurinae sp. (at Scientific name changes, Little Soil Springtail)
The stock waited a few years for a species level name. Samples sent to Dr. Ernest Bernard were keyed to Thalassaphorura encarpata. (at Scientific name changes, Little Soil Springtail)

Little Tiger Springtail

The seller lists Entomobrya multifasciata as the Little Tiger Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Entomobrya multifasciata "Little Tiger Springtail")

Lobella sp. 'Thai Red'

A red springtail from Thailand that entered the world hobby in late 2021 and is placed in the genus Lobella with no species name. (at Thai Red Springtails)
It entered the hobby with no scientific name. It was shown to be Neanurinae by its obvious tubercles and later placed tentatively in Lobella. The seller says the genus is now confirmed, so the cf. is dropped, and that species-level identification is not planned. (at Thai Red Springtails)
Hobby names for this culture are Thai Red Springtail and Red Springtail, so the animal looks red. (at Thai Red Springtails)
Obvious tubercles, which are rounded bumps on the back, placed this culture in the subfamily Neanurinae. (at Thai Red Springtails)

Malaysian Silver Scaly Springtail

The seller lists cf. Willowsia sp. as Kota Kinabalu or the Malaysian Silver Scaly Springtail. The cf. means even the genus is tentative. (at hobby name list, cf. Willowsia sp "Kota Kinabalu")
The seller says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, cf. Willowsia sp "Kota Kinabalu")

Micro Gold Springtail

The seller lists Lepidocyrtus sp. as the Micro Gold Springtail and notes the common name Gold Springtail. No species name is given. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus sp "Micro Gold Springtail")

Neanura growae

The seller sold the Florida Orange stock as Neanura growae until 2026, when it was moved to Yuukianura aphoruroides Florida Orange Locality. (at hobby name list, Yuukianura aphoruroides "Florida Orange Locality")

Notes that apply across the site

Keep the common name and the collection locality attached to every culture. One common name can cover stock from different localities and sometimes different species. (at hobby name list, Poduromorpha sp "Tiny Blue Springtail")
Sell stock under a species name only after a microscope has confirmed it, and buy from sellers who can trace the stock back to a microscope identification. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor "Giant Runner Springtail")

Onychiurinae sp. 'Snowflakes'

A small white hobby culture called Snowflake, placed in the subfamily Onychiurinae without a species name. Springtails US has not sold it under another name. (at hobby name list, Onychiurinae sp Snowflake)
Springtails US says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Onychiurinae sp Snowflake)

Orange

The seller says the Spanish Orange, Asian Orange and Cheeto Springtail are the same species from the same original stock. It was first sold as Bilobella braunerae, then called Protanura sp., and then named Yuukianura aphoruroides after microscopy. (at Orange Springtails)

Orange Springtail

The seller says the stocks sold as Orange, Spanish Orange, Asian Orange and Cheeto are one species from one original stock. Microscopy confirmed Yuukianura aphoruroides. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)
A second stock of the same species is sold as Florida Orange Locality. The seller says it is a different line from the Spanish Orange stock, so a bare Orange label does not say which one you have. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)
Cultures were sold as Bilobella braunerae, but the seller has seen no evidence of real Bilobella being sold anywhere in the world. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)
Cultures were also sold as Bilobella aurantiaca. The same reasoning applies, because the seller found no real Bilobella in trade. (at hobby name list, Yuukianura aphoruroides "Orange Springtail")
Cultures were also sold as Bilobella aurantiaca. The same reasoning applies, because the seller found no real Bilobella in trade. (at hobby name list, Yuukianura aphoruroides "Orange Springtail")
The first stock was collected in Spain and entered the hobby in 2022. It reached the seller in February 2022 sold as Bilobella braunerae. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)
Frans Janssens of collembola.org read macro photographs as Protanura sp. and sharper images as probably Yuukianura aphoruroides. Microscopy then confirmed the species. The seller says it came into Europe from the Philippines with earthworm cultures. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)

Orchesella cincta

A large hairy springtail sold as the Belted Springtail or Giant Belted Springtail. (at hobby name list, Orchesella cincta)
Springtails US says it has also been sold as the Giant Belted Springtail. (at hobby name list, Orchesella cincta)

Orchesella villosa

A hairy springtail sold as the Woolly Mammoth Springtail. Several indistinguishable localities are in hobby culture. (at hobby name list, Orchesella villosa)
Springtails US says it has not been sold under another name, though several localities that look the same exist in hobby culture. (at hobby name list, Orchesella villosa)

Paradoxing Springtail

The seller lists Lepidocyrtus paradoxus as the Paradoxing Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Lepidocyrtus paradoxus "Paradoxing Springtail")

Pogonognathellus dubius

A large silvery springtail sold as the Giant Silver Bullet or GSB Springtail. (at hobby name list, Pogonognathellus dubius)
Springtails US says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Pogonognathellus dubius)
The hobby name Giant Silver Bullet points to a silvery animal. (at Pogonognathellus dubius)

Proisotoma minuta

A small blue-grey springtail sold as the Blue Podura Springtail. The word Podura in the name is only a hobby label. (at hobby name list, Proisotoma minuta)
Springtails US says it was sold under the common name only until a scientific name was assigned. (at hobby name list, Proisotoma minuta)
The hobby name Blue Podura points to a blue-grey animal. (at hobby name list, Proisotoma minuta)

Prospector Springtail

The seller lists Pseudosinella alba as the Prospector Springtail. The seller adds that it is unclear for now whether the identification is correct. (at hobby name list, Pseudosinella alba "Prospector Springtail")

Protanura sp.

Frans Janssens first read macro photographs of the Orange stock as Protanura sp. and then, from sharper images, as probably the closely related Yuukianura aphoruroides. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)
Protanura and Yuukianura are closely related genera of the same subfamily. (at Scientific name changes, Orange Springtails)

Pseudosinella rolfsi

A runner sold under two common names, Runner and Rutabaga Runner. Each name comes from a different collection made at a different place and time. (at hobby name list, Pseudosinella rolfsi Runner Springtail)
Springtails US says the same species is sold under two common names, and that each name comes from a different collection at a different place and time. (at hobby name list, Pseudosinella rolfsi Runner Springtail)

Pseudosinella violenta

An eyeless runner sold as the Bylas Ant Springtail, a species first labelled Cyphoderus and later identified by microscopy. (at Bylas Ant Springtail)
The species has no eyes. The seller lists this with a large outer tooth on the unguiculus, smooth setae in the labial triangle, a second thoracic segment a little wider than the third, and long setae in the collar of the second thoracic segment. (at Bylas Ant Springtail)
The seller and a Florida state entomologist confirmed the species by microscopy, and a collembologist who examined the stock later confirmed it. It was first sold as Cyphoderus sp. and as Bylas, AZ. (at Bylas Ant Springtail)

Purple Springtail

Purple Springtail and Purple Podura were the old names of the stock now sold as Lilac. (at hobby name list, Ceratophysella isabellae "Lilac")
Purple Springtail and Purple Podura were the old names of the stock now sold as Lilac. (at hobby name list, Ceratophysella isabellae "Lilac")
Hobbyists decided the name Purple Springtail should be kept for truly purple species that have not yet entered the hobby. Any culture sold as Purple today may therefore be an old Lilac stock or a species that is new to the hobby. (at Species plus common name changes, Ceratophysella sp "Purple Springtails" to "Lilac Springtails")

Runner Springtail

The seller lists Pseudosinella rolfsi as the Runner and the Rutabaga Runner Springtail. They are one species sold under two common names. (at hobby name list, Pseudosinella rolfsi "Runner Springtail" & "Rutabaga Runner Springtail")
Each of the two common names comes from a different collection, from a different location and time. (at hobby name list, Pseudosinella rolfsi "Runner Springtail" & "Rutabaga Runner Springtail")

Seashore Springtail

The seller lists Anurida maritima as the Seashore Springtail. The stock was collected on Elliot Key, Florida. (at Species plus common name changes, Collembola sp "Indigo Blue" to Anurida maritima "Seashore Springtail")
The seller lists Anurida maritima as the Seashore Springtail. The stock was collected on Elliot Key, Florida. (at Species plus common name changes, Collembola sp "Indigo Blue" to Anurida maritima "Seashore Springtail")
The stock was sold as Collembola sp. Indigo Blue, and also as Poduromorpha sp. The seller encourages sellers and collectors to use the long-standing common name Seashore Springtail, though Indigo Blue still stands. (at Species plus common name changes, Collembola sp "Indigo Blue" to Anurida maritima "Seashore Springtail")
The stock was sold as Collembola sp. Indigo Blue, and also as Poduromorpha sp. The seller encourages sellers and collectors to use the long-standing common name Seashore Springtail, though Indigo Blue still stands. (at Species plus common name changes, Collembola sp "Indigo Blue" to Anurida maritima "Seashore Springtail")
The seller confirmed the identification from five ocelli per eyepatch, the arrangement of the ocelli, the general habitus and the habitat. The animals do not jump. (at Species plus common name changes, Collembola sp "Indigo Blue" to Anurida maritima "Seashore Springtail")

Seira bipunctata

Stock sold as Seira bipunctata was moved to Seira brasiliana in 2026. The original name came from macro photographs and the new one from microscopy. (at hobby name list, Seira brasiliana)

Seira brasiliana

The original identification as Seira bipunctata came from macrophotography. A 2026 update confirmed Seira brasiliana by microscopy. The seller says it has not been sold widely. (at hobby name list, Seira brasiliana)

Seira dowlingi

A silvery Seira that was sold as Entomobrya sp. Silver Springtail until a Florida state entomologist named it Seira dowlingi. (at Entomobrya sp Silver Seira dowlingi)
The species long needed an identification change. Specimens from a supplier were sent to a Florida state entomologist, who reached Seira dowlingi. (at Entomobrya sp Silver Seira dowlingi)
The earlier hobby name Silver Springtail points to a silvery animal. (at Entomobrya sp Silver Seira dowlingi)

Seira purpurea

The original identification as Seira sp. 13 came from macrophotography. A 2026 update confirmed Seira purpurea by microscopy. The seller says it has not been sold widely, so the change should cause little confusion. (at hobby name list, Seira purpurea)

Seira sp. 13

Stock sold as Seira sp. 13 was moved to Seira purpurea in 2026. The original name came from macro photographs and the new one from microscopy. (at hobby name list, Seira purpurea)

Silver Springtail

Seira dowlingi was traded as Entomobrya sp. Silver Springtail until a Florida state entomologist gave the new identification. (at Scientific name changes, Entomobrya sp "Silver")
Seira dowlingi was traded as Entomobrya sp. Silver Springtail until a Florida state entomologist gave the new identification. (at Scientific name changes, Entomobrya sp "Silver")
The seller notes that silver is typically reserved for Lepidocyrtus and lists Lepidocyrtus sp. Silver Springtails as a separate stock. (at hobby name list, Seira dowlingi)
The seller notes that silver is typically reserved for Lepidocyrtus and lists Lepidocyrtus sp. Silver Springtails as a separate stock. (at hobby name list, Seira dowlingi)
The seller also lists a Collembola sp. Silver Springtail and an Entomobryomorpha sp. Small Silver with too little data to say whether they are the same stock. (at hobby name list, Collembola sp. "Silver Springtail")
The seller also lists a Collembola sp. Silver Springtail and an Entomobryomorpha sp. Small Silver with too little data to say whether they are the same stock. (at hobby name list, Collembola sp. "Silver Springtail")
At least four stocks have been sold under silver names. The seller says the silver name may change eventually for the Seira stock, because it is typically kept for Lepidocyrtus. (at hobby name list, Seira dowlingi)

Sinella curviseta

A name that was used for years for the hobby Tropical Pink springtail, which turned out to be Coecobrya tenebricosa. It still appears on one care sheet. (at Tropical Pink White Springtails)
The Tropical White and Tropical Pink springtails were sold for years as Sinella curviseta. A collembologist determined them to be Coecobrya tenebricosa. The seller says Sinella curviseta is not the proper name of the widespread species in the hobby. (at Tropical Pink White Springtails)

Sinella curviseta

The seller says Sinella curviseta is not the proper name of the widespread Tropical culture, which is Coecobrya tenebricosa. A culture that still carries the Sinella label may be that species or something else. (at Tropical Pink White Springtails)

Sinella curviseta

The seller says Sinella curviseta is not the proper name of the widespread species in the hobby, which is Coecobrya tenebricosa. (at Scientific name changes, Tropical Pink/White Springtails)
A culture that still carries the Sinella label may be that species or something else. The seller makes no claim that real Sinella curviseta is in the hobby. (at Scientific name changes, Tropical Pink/White Springtails)

Small Silver Springtail

The seller lists Entomobryomorpha sp. as the Small Silver Springtail. The seller says there was not enough data at the time to say more. (at hobby name list, Entombryomorpha sp "Small Silver")
Several stocks are sold under silver names, and Seira dowlingi was traded as Entomobrya sp. Silver Springtail. (at hobby name list, Seira dowlingi)
The seller has too little data to say whether this stock has also been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Entombryomorpha sp "Small Silver")

Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus

A globular springtail whose species name means four-spotted. Springtails US has not sold it under another name. (at hobby name list, Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus)
Springtails US says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus)

Sombré Springtail

The seller lists Vertagopus sp. as the Sombré Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. No species name is given. (at hobby name list, Vertagopus sp "Sombré Springtail")

Tetrodontophora bielanensis

A large springtail sold as the Giant Blue Springtail. Springtails US has not sold it under another name. (at hobby name list, Tetrodontophora bielanensis Giant Blue Springtail)
Springtails US says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Tetrodontophora bielanensis Giant Blue Springtail)

Thai Red Springtail

The seller lists Lobella sp. as the Thai Red Springtail. The genus is confirmed, and species level identification is not currently planned. (at Scientific name changes, Thai Red Springtails)
The seller lists Lobella sp. as the Thai Red Springtail. The genus is confirmed, and species level identification is not currently planned. (at Scientific name changes, Thai Red Springtails)
The red springtails from Thailand entered the worldwide hobby in late 2021 with no scientific name. Obvious tubercles showed they were Neanurinae, and they were later placed in Lobella with a cf. The genus is now confirmed and the cf. has been dropped. (at Scientific name changes, Thai Red Springtails)

Thalassaphorura encarpata

A small white springtail sold as the Little Soil Springtail, keyed to species by Dr. Ernest Bernard after years as an unnamed Onychiurinae. (at Little Soil Springtail Onychiurinae sp)
It waited years for a species name. Samples sent to collembologist Dr. Ernest Bernard were keyed to Thalassaphorura encarpata, replacing Onychiurinae sp. (at Little Soil Springtail Onychiurinae sp)

Three-Lined Springtail

The seller lists Homidia socia as the Three-Lined Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Homidia socia "Three-Lined Springtail")

Tiny Blue Springtail

The seller lists Xenylla grisea as the Tiny Blue Springtail from the Lake Keystone, Oklahoma locale. It was sold before as Hypogastruridae sp. (at hobby name list, Xenylla grisea "Tiny Blue Springtail")
The seller lists a different stock, Poduromorpha sp., under the same common name. A different species or locality has been sold as Tiny Blue. (at hobby name list, Poduromorpha sp "Tiny Blue Springtail")

Tiny Purple Springtail

The seller lists Brachystomella villalobosi as the Tiny Purple Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Brachystomella villalobosi "Tiny Purple Springtail")

Tiny White Springtail

The seller lists cf. Onychiuridae sp. as the Tiny White Springtail. The cf. means even the family is tentative. (at hobby name list, cf. Onychiuridae sp "Tiny White Springtail")
The seller says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, cf. Onychiuridae sp "Tiny White Springtail")

Tomocerus vulgaris

A large scaled springtail sold as the Common Bull or Giant Silver Springtail. Stock sold under this name is sometimes Tomocerus minor. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus vulgaris Common Bull Springtail)
Hobby stock sold as Tomocerus vulgaris is sometimes Tomocerus minor, and cultures exist with both the right and the wrong identification. Tomocerus minor has tridentate dental spines and Tomocerus vulgaris does not. The seller recommends buying only stock traced back to microscopy. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor Giant Runner Springtail)
Hobby stock sold as Tomocerus vulgaris is sometimes Tomocerus minor, and cultures exist with both the right and the wrong identification. Tomocerus minor has tridentate dental spines and Tomocerus vulgaris does not. The seller recommends buying only stock traced back to microscopy. (at hobby name list, Tomocerus minor Giant Runner Springtail)

Trade 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. (at Common names)

Tropical Pink Springtail

The seller prefers Tropical Pink for this species. A collembologist determined the stock to be Coecobrya tenebricosa. (at Scientific name changes, Tropical Pink/White Springtails)
The seller prefers Tropical Pink for this species. A collembologist determined the stock to be Coecobrya tenebricosa. (at Scientific name changes, Tropical Pink/White Springtails)
The seller prefers Tropical Pink because Folsomia candida sometimes goes by Tropical White, so a Tropical Pink label is less likely to be that species. (at hobby name list, Coecobrya tenebricosa)
The stock was sold for years as Sinella curviseta. The seller says that is not the proper name of the widespread hobby species, though a culture that still carries the Sinella label could be something else. (at Scientific name changes, Tropical Pink/White Springtails)

Tropical White Springtail

Tropical springtails go by two common names, white and pink. The animals are not all that pink, so some sellers use Tropical White for the same species. (at Scientific name changes, Tropical Pink/White Springtails)
Folsomia candida has sometimes been sold as Tropical White. The seller says it should not continue to be sold under that name. (at hobby name list, Folsomia candida Temperate / Common White Springtail)
The name is shared by two species. The seller asks sellers to stop using it for Folsomia candida and prefers Tropical Pink for Coecobrya tenebricosa. (at hobby name list, Coecobrya tenebricosa)
The name is shared by two species. The seller asks sellers to stop using it for Folsomia candida and prefers Tropical Pink for Coecobrya tenebricosa. (at hobby name list, Coecobrya tenebricosa)

Varicolored Springtail

The stock was sold as Entomobrya confusa, but the 2026 identification replaced that name. (at Species plus common name changes, Entomobrya sp "Compost Springtail" to "Varicolored Springtail")
The seller introduced it as Entomobrya sp. Compost because it was collected from compost. A species name followed soon after, and the common name was changed before the stock became widely available, but some buyers received cultures labelled Compost. (at Species plus common name changes, Entomobrya sp "Compost Springtail" to "Varicolored Springtail")

White Ant Springtail

The seller lists Cyphoderus similis as the White Ant Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Cyphoderus similis "White Ant Springtail")
The Bylas Ant Springtail was sold as Cyphoderus before microscopy showed it is a Pseudosinella. It is a different stock from the White Ant Springtail. (at Scientific name changes, Bylas Ant Springtail)

Willowsia buski

A scaled Willowsia sold as the Damp Grain Springtail. Springtails US has not sold it under another name. (at hobby name list, Willowsia buski)
Springtails US says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Willowsia buski)

Wood Runner Springtail

A collembologist identified the stock as Entomobryoides purpurascens in 2026. It was sold earlier as Entomobrya sp. (at hobby name list, Entomobryoides purpurascens "Wood Runner Springtail")

Woolly Mammoth Springtail

The seller lists Orchesella villosa as the Woolly Mammoth Springtail and says it has not been sold under another name. (at hobby name list, Orchesella villosa "Woolly Mammoth Springtail")
Several localities exist in hobby culture. The seller says they cannot be told apart. (at hobby name list, Orchesella villosa "Woolly Mammoth Springtail")

Working name

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

Xenylla grisea

A tiny blue-grey springtail from Lake Keystone, Oklahoma, identified to species in 2026. The same common name was sold for a different species. (at Tiny Blue Springtail Hypogastruridae sp)
It was sold as Hypogastruridae sp. Tiny Blue Springtail, a family-level name. In 2026 the stock from Lake Keystone, Oklahoma was named Xenylla grisea. (at Tiny Blue Springtail Hypogastruridae sp)
The hobby name Tiny Blue Springtail points to a small blue-grey animal. (at Tiny Blue Springtail Hypogastruridae sp)
The common name Tiny Blue Springtail is shared with other stock. The seller urges sellers to keep the common name and the locality, Lake Keystone, OK, attached to every culture of this species. A separate Poduromorpha sp. Tiny Blue Springtail also exists. (at hobby name list, Poduromorpha sp Tiny Blue Springtail)

Yellow Albino

The word albino is a hobby label for a pale form. No source read for this site shows that the animals lack pigment because of a genetic change. (at hobby name list, Ceratophysella isabellae)

Yuukianura aphoruroides

The orange springtail of the hobby, a plump Asian species that reached Europe with earthworm imports and has been sold under at least four wrong names. (at Orange Springtails)
The hobby sells it as the Orange Springtail, also called the Spanish Orange, Asian Orange or Cheeto Springtail. All of those names describe an orange animal. (at Yuukianura aphoruroides Orange Springtail)
The first hobby stock was sold as Bilobella braunerae in 2022. A collembologist at the Checklist of the Collembola first called it Protanura sp. from macro photographs, then Yuukianura aphoruroides from higher resolution images. Microscopy then agreed. The same stock was also sold as Bilobella aurantiaca. (at Orange Springtails)
The species is Asian. It came into Europe from the Philippines through earthworm cultures. The first hobby stock was collected in Spain and entered the hobby in 2022 as the Spanish Orange Springtail. (at Orange Springtails)
A stock sold as Neanura growae, the Florida Orange Springtail, is now called Yuukianura aphoruroides Florida Orange Locality. It was named from online images only, because it was found in the United States, and it was a naturalised population. The seller reports the species in the wild at least as far north as Virginia, and it may have come in with earthworm imports. The two hobby stocks carry the same species name but different histories. (at Florida Orange Springtail)