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Entomobryomorpha · Entomobryidae

Coecobrya tenebricosa

A pale, fast-breeding springtail sold as Tropical Pink or Tropical White.The Tropical Pink and Tropical White springtail of the hobby, a pale, fast-breeding species long sold under the wrong name Sinella curviseta. Anecdotal 1

Also sold or known as

This page is partly filled in

Some sections have little or no evidence yet. Each gap says so rather than guessing.

Side view drawing of Coecobrya tenebricosa, drawn from sourced body proportions. It is a drawing, not a photograph.
Drawing
Schematic plate drawn from the genus. Eyes are left off because keeper photographs show none, but no source read for this site states it. Colour is the keeper description.

No size is recorded for this species yet, so true size is not available.

At a glance

Difficulty
Easy Anecdotal 2
Growth
Very fast Anecdotal 2
Best enclosures
Closed tropical terrarium, Temperate woodland vivarium, Open tropical terrarium A model estimate from the ranges on this page. See every enclosure type
In trade
Common in trade As of Oct 22, 2026. Hobby consensus 2, 3
Identification
Strongly supported Stable How sure we are

Not recorded yet: Size, Temperature, Air humidity.

No measured adult length was found for this species in the sources read for this site. Unknown Open question How long is an adult *Coecobrya tenebricosa* in culture?

Identification

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. Anecdotal 1
The body has no scales. Peer-reviewed 4 Unchecked
Warning A culture sold as Tropical White may really be the common white springtail.Folsomia candida is sometimes sold as Tropical White, so the name alone does not tell you which species you have. Anecdotal 1

Characters to check

These are the features recorded for this species. Each row says what kit you need to read it.

Character What it looks like Needs
Body form Long and slim The body is long and slim with clearly visible segments, long antennae and long legs. / Slim tube The body is a smooth tube with segments you can see, and shorter antennae and legs. Varies Inherited: Entomobryomorpha 4 Naked eye
Main colour White or cream Pale with no strong tint. / Pink Pink or salmon, often a pale body with a tint. Varies 1 Naked eye
Colour pattern Even colour The colour is the same all over, apart from a darker or paler gut. 1 Naked eye
Scales No scales The body has no scales, only skin and bristles. 4 Hand loupe
Antenna segments Four plain segments The antenna has four clear segments and none is divided into rings. / Divided into rings At least one segment is split into small rings, which makes the antenna look jointed. Varies Inherited: Collembola 5 Stereo microscope
Mouth shape Blunt mouth The mouth is blunt and the head is rounded in front. Inherited: Entomobryomorpha 4 Hand loupe
Spines on the tail end No spines The last abdominal segment has no spines. Inherited: Entomobryomorpha 4 Stereo microscope
6 characters have no record yet

Nobody has recorded these for this species, so the key treats them as unknown and never guesses.

  • Body length
  • Surface texture
  • Antenna length
  • Eyes
  • Eye count
  • Jumping organ

Identify an animal you have

Answer in any order, with the kit you have.

Husbandry and breeding

  • Difficulty Easy
  • Growth Very fast
  • Yield Very high
Airflow
Low Anecdotal 2

Foods

  • Dry yeast Staple 2
  • Commercial springtail mix Good 2

Substrates

  • Peat-based soil Excellent 2
  • Calcium clay Good 2
  • Plain plaster Good 2
  • Charcoal and plaster Good 2

The evidence in detail

Springtails US rates it Beginner level. Anecdotal 2
Model assumption Springtails US scores its reproduction rate 9 out of 10. The site reads that as very fast growth and a very high yield. Anecdotal 2
Springtails US cultures it on soil, clay, plaster or charcoal. It advises moist substrate, minimal ventilation and soil for the highest reproduction rate. Anecdotal 2
Feed once or twice a week with a springtail food mix, brewer's yeast, another yeast or fish food. Anecdotal 2

Guides that cover it

Tools

Print a care card

Key numbers and a QR code back to this page.

Bioactive compatibility

Where it lives
Soil Hobby consensus 3, 6
In an enclosure
Establishes readily Hobby consensus 3, 6
Used as
Clean-up crew, Feeder culture Hobby consensus 3, 6
It is sold as a cleanup crew and as food for small tropical frogs, and one seller recommends it as a single-species pick for isopod tubs. Hobby consensus 3, 6

Fit by enclosure type

A model estimate from the climate each enclosure type holds and the ranges recorded for this species. It is not a measurement.

Enclosure type Fit Why
Closed tropical terrarium A glass terrarium with a lid and little ventilation, misted often, kept for dart frogs and other animals from humid forest. See where it ranks Good fit
  • Sellers culture it damp all the way through, which suits a substrate that stays wet.
  • Airflow is low, which is what this species is kept with.
  • Keepers report that it establishes readily in an enclosure.
Temperate woodland vivarium A cool, damp vivarium with leaf litter, bark and a moisture gradient, kept for fire salamanders and similar woodland amphibians. See where it ranks Good fit
  • Sellers culture it damp all the way through, which suits a substrate that stays wet.
  • Airflow is medium. This species is usually kept with low airflow.
  • Keepers report that it establishes readily in an enclosure.
Open tropical terrarium A tall terrarium with mesh ventilation and daily misting that dries out between sprays, kept for crested geckos and similar climbers. See where it ranks Good fit
  • Sellers culture it damp all the way through. A substrate that stays damp is only a partial match.
  • Airflow is medium. This species is usually kept with low airflow.
  • Keepers report that it establishes readily in an enclosure.
Isopod tub A ventilated tub of organic substrate and leaf litter with a damp end and a dry end, kept for isopod colonies. See where it ranks Good fit
  • Sellers culture it damp all the way through. A substrate that stays damp is only a partial match.
  • Airflow is medium. This species is usually kept with low airflow.
  • Keepers report that it establishes readily in an enclosure.
Potted plant A houseplant pot with an open top, watered on a schedule so the soil dries a little between waterings. See where it ranks Marginal fit
  • Sellers culture it damp all the way through. A substrate that stays damp is only a partial match.
  • Airflow is high. This species is usually kept with low airflow, which is a big difference.
  • Keepers report that it establishes readily in an enclosure.
Semi-arid terrarium A mostly dry terrarium with a damp hide and a warm spot, kept for leopard geckos and similar grassland or scrub animals. See where it ranks Marginal fit
  • Sellers culture it damp all the way through, so a substrate that stays mostly dry is a poor match.
  • Airflow is medium. This species is usually kept with low airflow.
  • Keepers report that it establishes readily in an enclosure.
Arid terrarium A dry, well ventilated desert terrarium with a hot basking spot, kept for bearded dragons and similar animals. See where it ranks Marginal fit
  • Sellers culture it damp all the way through, so a substrate that stays dry is a poor match.
  • Airflow is high. This species is usually kept with low airflow, which is a big difference.
  • Keepers report that it establishes readily in an enclosure.

Animals that eat springtails mean the springtails need topping up. The explorer shows which species keep up with the animals in your enclosure. Open the compatibility explorer

Natural history and distribution

Status
Origin unclear Peer-reviewed 3
Regions
Worldwide Peer-reviewed 3
Found in
A bought culture, An enclosure Peer-reviewed 3
In trade
Common in trade in North America, Europe. As of Oct 22, 2026. Hobby consensus 2, 3
A 2019 study lists the origin as the USA and the known range as the USA, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, France and Poland. It was found in Polish cities because wholesalers sold it as food for tropical frogs. Peer-reviewed 3
Two Polish wholesalers sent it to 56 cities in nine months, and one reached the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden as well. The authors treat vivarium hobbies as a fast route for moving small invertebrates between countries. Peer-reviewed 3
Springtails US stocks it. A 2019 study found wholesalers selling it to hobbyists in Poland. Hobby consensus 2, 3

Taxonomy and naming history

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. Anecdotal 1
A DNA barcode study placed Polish vivarium specimens in one barcode cluster, BIN ACZ2224, which matches the species name. A barcode cluster is a convenient grouping and is not the same as a species. Peer-reviewed 3, 7

How sure the name is

Name type
Exact name The name has been matched against the published description.
Confidence
Strongly supported Several lines of evidence agree.
Evidence for the name
Body form, checked by an expert
Stability
Stable Sources agree and the name has not moved in years.
Review
Reviewed by a curator

GBIF lists Coecobrya tenebricosa (J.W.Folsom, 1902). Checked Oct 22, 2026.

Classification

Trade and hobby names

Trade names are not taxonomy. Each one is a label that sellers use, with its own page.

Name Kind How likely
Sinella curviseta Historical label Likely
Tropical Pink Springtail Common name Likely
Tropical White Springtail Common name Likely
Tropical Pink Common name Strongly supported

Names used

Name Relationship Author Note
Sinella curviseta Historical trade identification Used for years for the Tropical Pink and Tropical White cultures. A collembologist later found the cultures are Coecobrya tenebricosa, and Sinella curviseta is not the right name for the widespread hobby species. 1
Coecobrya sp. Historical trade identification The genus-level label used between the Sinella label and the species name. 1

Open questions and sources

Open questions

  • Do all hobby Tropical cultures trace to one *Coecobrya tenebricosa* stock?

    Molecular Open

    Why it matters. The Tropical Pink and Tropical White cultures were sold for years as Sinella curviseta. One seller has now named them Coecobrya tenebricosa, but cultures that passed through many hands may not share one origin.

    What would help. COI barcodes from several sellers' Tropical cultures, compared with the barcode group that a 2019 study of Polish terrariums assigned to Coecobrya tenebricosa.

    Jaskula and colleagues 2019 on animals found in hobby terrariums

  • How long is an adult *Coecobrya tenebricosa* in culture?

    Identification Open

    Why it matters. Body length is the first thing a keeper can check, and the size filter in the identification key needs it. No source read for this site gives a measured length.

    What would help. Measured lengths of adults from a stated culture, taken from a scaled photograph or a slide, with the number of animals and the method.

  • Is a culture sold as Tropical White a *Coecobrya* or a *Folsomia*?

    Trade names Needs a voucher specimen

    Why it matters. The name Tropical White is used for the pale form of Coecobrya tenebricosa and has also been used for Folsomia candida. The two want different care.

    What would help. A voucher from each culture checked under a microscope, and a note of the seller and the date of purchase.

  • Which species is this culture, checked by a specialist?

    Identification Needs a voucher specimen

    Why it matters. Hobby cultures are mostly named from a seller's label or a photograph. A wrong name spreads from seller to keeper and then into care advice.

    What would help. Preserved vouchers from the culture in 80 to 95 percent ethanol, mounted specimens examined by a springtail specialist, and a DNA barcode where a reference exists. Deposit the voucher with a museum or a university collection.

Sources

  1. 1

    Springtail Identification and Common Name Resource

    Pavy R. Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Tropical Pink/White springtails.

  2. 2

    Springtail Care Sheet

    Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Coecobrya tenebricosa entry.

  3. 3

    Undesirable immigrants: hobbyist vivaria as a potential source of alien invertebrate species

    Jaskuła R, Sulikowska-Drozd A, Jabłońska A, Banaś K, Rewicz T. 2019. PeerJ 7: e7617

    Verified against a registry · Peer-reviewed paper

    Cited at Results, recorded taxa; Results, diversity of invertebrates in terraria; Table 1 and Supplemental Information 8.

  4. 4

    Biology of the Springtails (Insecta: Collembola)

    Hopkin SP. 1997. Oxford University Press

    Verified against a registry · Specialist monograph

    Cited at chapter on external morphology.

  5. 5

    Checklist of the Collembola of the World

    Bellinger PF, Christiansen KA, Janssens F

    Link works · Authoritative database

    Cited at Introduction, external anatomy and morphology.

  6. 6

    Springtails for Isopods

    Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at species picks.

  7. 7

    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.

Spotted a mistake or know a better source?

Page data reviewed Oct 22, 2026