Springtail Wiki

Reading level

Changes how much detail each statement shows. Saved on this device.

Theme

Units

Stops animation and uses still drawings.

Entomobryomorpha · Entomobryidae

Entomobrya assuta

A springtail whose colour varies a lot. The hobby Varicolored culture is thought to be a plain form of it.A North American springtail with a highly variable colour pattern. The Varicolored Springtail of the hobby is a patternless culture that a collembologist linked to it. Peer-reviewed 1, 2

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 Entomobrya assuta, drawn from sourced body proportions. It is a drawing, not a photograph.
Drawing
The colour pattern of this species is highly variable and cannot be drawn as one form. This plate shows one patterned form.

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

At a glance

Difficulty
Easy Anecdotal 3
Growth
Fast Anecdotal 3
Best enclosures
Open tropical terrarium, Isopod tub, Semi-arid terrarium A model estimate from the ranges on this page. See every enclosure type
In trade
Regularly available As of Oct 22, 2026. Anecdotal 3
Identification
Strongly supported Stable How sure we are

Not recorded yet: Size, Temperature, Air humidity.

Identification

The colours vary a lot. Dark blue or black marks sit on a white, yellow, orange or light purple background.The pattern is highly variable and often has no clear discrete forms. Black or dark blue pigment usually sits on a white, yellow, orange or light purple background. All forms studied have a dark band across the hind edge of the second abdominal segment. The antennae are usually entirely purple. Peer-reviewed 1
The body is flattened from top to bottom. Peer-reviewed 1
The setae on the head, thorax and abdomen are much fewer than in other Entomobrya of the region. Only one other species, Entomobrya citrensis, shares this reduction, and the two look alike. Peer-reviewed 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. / Yellow Clearly yellow and not just cream. / Orange or red Orange, rust or brick red. / Purple or lilac Lilac, violet or purple. Varies 1 Naked eye
Colour pattern Crossbands Dark or pale bands run across the body from side to side. / Spots or mottling Spots, flecks or cloudy patches without a clear order. Varies 1 Naked eye
Scales No scales The body has no scales, only skin and bristles. Inherited: Entomobrya 1 Hand loupe
Antenna segments Four plain segments The antenna has four clear segments and none is divided into rings. Inherited: Entomobrya 1 Stereo microscope
Eyes Eyes present Dark eye patches sit on both sides of the head. Inherited: Entomobrya 1 Phone macro
Eye count Eight Eight dots in each eye patch, the most a springtail can have. Inherited: Entomobrya 1 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
Jumping organ Long A long furca reaches forward under the body, and the animal springs when disturbed. Inherited: Entomobrya 1 Hand loupe
3 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

Identify an animal you have

Answer in any order, with the kit you have.

Husbandry and breeding

  • Difficulty Easy
  • Growth Fast
  • Yield High
Airflow
Medium Anecdotal 3
Moisture gradient
Keep about 25% of the substrate dry. Anecdotal 3

Foods

  • Commercial springtail mix Good 3
  • Dry yeast Good 3
  • Fish flakes Occasional 3

Substrates

  • Peat-based soil Good 3

The evidence in detail

Springtails US rates it Beginner level. Anecdotal 3
Model assumption Springtails US scores its reproduction rate 7 out of 10. The site reads that as fast growth and a high yield. Anecdotal 3
Springtails US cultures it on soil. It advises a moisture gradient with about 25% of the substrate dry, plus ventilation on the dry side. Anecdotal 3
Feed once or twice a week with a springtail food mix, brewer's yeast, another yeast or fish food. Anecdotal 3

Tools

Print a care card

Key numbers and a QR code back to this page.

Bioactive compatibility

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
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 with about 25% of the substrate dry, which suits a substrate that stays damp.
  • Airflow is medium, which is what this species is kept with.
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 with about 25% of the substrate dry, which suits a substrate that stays damp.
  • Airflow is medium, which is what this species is kept with.
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 Good fit
  • Sellers culture it with about 25% of the substrate dry, which suits a substrate that stays mostly dry.
  • Airflow is medium, which is what this species is kept with.
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 Good fit
  • Sellers culture it with about 25% of the substrate dry, which suits a substrate that stays damp.
  • Airflow is high. This species is usually kept with medium airflow.
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 Marginal fit
  • Sellers culture it with about 25% of the substrate dry. A substrate that stays wet is only a partial match.
  • Airflow is medium, which is what this species is kept with.
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 Marginal fit
  • Sellers culture it with about 25% of the substrate dry. A substrate that stays wet is only a partial match.
  • Airflow is low. This species is usually kept with medium airflow.
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 with about 25% of the substrate dry. A substrate that stays dry is only a partial match.
  • Airflow is high. This species is usually kept with medium airflow.

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
Native Peer-reviewed 1
Regions
North America Peer-reviewed 1
Found in
A bought culture, An enclosure Peer-reviewed 1
In trade
Regularly available in North America. As of Oct 22, 2026. Anecdotal 3
The authors think it is an intrusion of a southern subtropical or tropical Entomobrya lineage into North America. Its reduced setae are closer to Caribbean species than to other North American ones. Peer-reviewed 1
It is endemic to North America. Peer-reviewed 1
Springtails US listed it as in stock on 22 October 2026. Anecdotal 3

Taxonomy and naming history

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. Anecdotal 2, 5
Warning The label var. nov. is only a note. It is not an official name.The label var. nov. means a new variety that nobody has published. It is a note about this culture and it is not a taxon, and the site does not give it a taxon page. Anecdotal 2

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 and DNA
Stability
Stable Sources agree and the name has not moved in years.
Review
Reviewed by a curator

GBIF lists Entomobrya assuta J.W.Folsom, 1924. 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
Entomobrya confusa Historical label Likely
Varicolored Springtail Trade name Likely
Varicolored Trade name Tentative

Open questions and sources

Open questions

  • Will the Varicolored culture be published as a form of *Entomobrya assuta* or as something else?

    Taxonomy Needs a specialist

    Why it matters. The label var. nov. marks an unpublished idea, not a name. Until it is published or dropped, the culture stays an Entomobrya assuta working identification.

    What would help. A DNA barcode of the culture compared with wild Entomobrya assuta from Illinois, and a specialist note on whether the patternless form is a variety, a new species or a colour variant.

  • 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

    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 E. assuta description; E. assuta remarks; Results, genus diagnosis; E. assuta distribution.

  2. 2

    Major Springtail Hobby Identification Updates (2026)

    Pavy R. 2026. Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Entomobrya confusa Varicolored Springtail.

  3. 3

    Springtail Care Sheet

    Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Entomobrya assuta var. nov. entry.

  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

    Springtail Identification and Common Name Resource

    Pavy R. Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Entomobrya sp Compost Springtail.

Spotted a mistake or know a better source?

Page data reviewed Oct 22, 2026