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Entomobryomorpha · Isotomidae

Folsomia candida

A small white springtail with no eyes. Labs use it as the standard test animal, and keepers use it as the usual starter culture.A pale, eyeless springtail with a long jumping organ. It is the standard laboratory species for soil toxicity tests and the most common starter culture for bioactive tanks. Peer-reviewed 1, 2

Also sold or known as

Side view drawing of Folsomia candida, drawn from sourced body proportions. It is a drawing, not a photograph.
Drawing
Proportions follow the genus. Strains differ in small details of setae and body size that a drawing cannot show.

At a glance

Size
1.2–1.8 mm Adult. Typical 1.5 mm. Peer-reviewed 3, 4
Difficulty
Easy Hobby consensus 2, 4–8
Growth
Fast Adult in about 16–25 days at 21 °C70 °F. Peer-reviewed 3, 9, 10
Temperature
15–22 °C59–72 °F Tolerates 15–27 °C59–81 °F.
Hobby consensus 2, 4, 6, 7, 9
Substrate wetness
0.6–0.9 A model scale from 0 to 1, not a measurement.
Hobby consensus 4, 7
Best enclosures
Closed tropical terrarium, Isopod tub, Potted plant 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 4, 5, 7
Identification
Strongly supported Under active research How sure we are
Adults are small, roughly 1.5 mm long, about the length of a grain of table salt stretched out twice.Young adults of twelve laboratory strains measured about 1.2 to 1.8 mm. One seller gives 1 to 3 mm for cultures in general. Peer-reviewed 3, 4

Identification

It has no eyes. Peer-reviewed 1, 4 Unchecked
Living animals are white to cream with no colour pattern. Peer-reviewed 1, 4 Unchecked
The skin looks smooth, with only a few fine bristles. Peer-reviewed 1 Unchecked
The antennae are short, clearly less than half the body length. Peer-reviewed 1 Unchecked
The furca is long. All twelve strains examined had the characteristic long furca, which separates the species from short-furca relatives. Peer-reviewed 3
Warning Many small pale springtails look like this one. Only a microscope can settle it.A white, eyeless springtail is not enough to name this species. Many pale soil springtails lack eyes and pigment, and the species is identified from setae counts and the post-antennal organ under a microscope. Peer-reviewed 3, 10

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 Slim tube The body is a smooth tube with segments you can see, and shorter antennae and legs. Inherited: Isotomidae 11 Naked eye
Body length 1 to 2 mm About as long as the width of a pencil lead. 3, 4 Naked eye
Main colour White or cream Pale with no strong tint. 1, 4 Naked eye
Colour pattern Even colour The colour is the same all over, apart from a darker or paler gut. 1, 4 Naked eye
Surface texture Smooth The skin looks smooth and shiny with only a few fine bristles. 1 Hand loupe
Scales No scales The body has no scales, only skin and bristles. Inherited: Isotomidae 11 Hand loupe
Antenna length Shorter than half the body The antennae are short and stubby, clearly less than half the body length. 1 Phone macro
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 12 Stereo microscope
Eyes No eyes The head has no dark eyespots. 1, 4 Phone macro
Mouth shape Blunt mouth The mouth is blunt and the head is rounded in front. Inherited: Entomobryomorpha 11 Hand loupe
Spines on the tail end No spines The last abdominal segment has no spines. Inherited: Entomobryomorpha 11 Stereo microscope
Jumping organ Long A long furca reaches forward under the body, and the animal springs when disturbed. 3 Hand loupe

Identify an animal you have

Answer in any order, with the kit you have.

Husbandry and breeding

  • Difficulty Easy
  • Growth Fast
  • Yield High

Climate

Temperature

Best 15–22 °C59–72 °F Tolerated 15–27 °C59–81 °F Hobby consensus 2, 4, 6, 7, 9

Substrate wetness

Best 0.6–0.9 Tolerated 0.4–0.95 Hobby consensus 4, 7

A model scale from 0 to 1, not a measurement.

Airflow
Low Hobby consensus 4–6

Life history

Measured at 21 °C70 °F. Other temperatures change every figure.

Reproduction
Females alone (parthenogenetic) Peer-reviewed 3, 9, 10
Adult in
16–25 days Peer-reviewed 3, 9, 10
Lifespan
6–198 days Peer-reviewed 3, 9, 10

Foods

  • Dry yeast Staple 2, 4, 7, 8
  • Commercial springtail mix Good 5, 6
  • Mushroom Occasional 4, 5
  • Fish flakes Occasional 4, 5

Substrates

  • Charcoal and plaster Excellent 2
  • Calcium clay Excellent 4, 6–8
  • Plain plaster Good 4, 6–8
  • Coco coir Good 4, 6–8
  • Peat-based soil Good 4, 6–8

The evidence in detail

At 21 °C70 °F, females lived 136 days on average, with a range of 6 to 198 days. They laid their first eggs after about 18 days (16 to 25) and laid about 1,000 eggs in a lifetime, spread over about 13 egg-laying events.At 21 °C70 °F (Michigan stock, parthenogenetic females on plaster and charcoal with brewer's yeast), mean life span was 136.2 days (6 to 198), mean first oviposition was 17.7 days after hatching (16 to 25), mean fecundity was 1,011 eggs per female and mean ovipositions per female was 13. Peer-reviewed 9
Cooler was better in the classic laboratory study. Females lived about 241 days at 15 °C59 °F, 136 days at 21 °C70 °F and 72 days at 26 °C79 °F, and laid about 1,344, 1,011 and 130 eggs in a lifetime. The authors thought 26 °C79 °F may be close to the upper limit. Peer-reviewed 9
The Environment Canada culture method keeps all four test species, including this one, at a daily average of 20 °C68 °F, with a tolerance of ±2 °C±4 °F. Expert source 2
Keeper and retailer advice for this species spans 15–22 °C59–72 °F at one UK seller, 18–27 °C64–81 °F at one US seller and 21–27 °C70–81 °F at another. They agree that sustained heat above about 27 °C81 °F slows breeding. Hobby consensus 4, 6, 7
Warning If your culture is slow, check it is not too warm. A cool room can suit it better than a heat mat.Hobby advice and laboratory data disagree about warmth. Some sellers call 21–27 °C70–81 °F ideal for breeding. The laboratory life-history study found the highest egg output at 15 °C59 °F and a steep fall at 26 °C79 °F. The strain studied may differ from your culture. Peer-reviewed 4, 6, 9
Laboratories culture it on a base of 8 parts plaster of Paris to 1 part activated charcoal at least 1 cm deep, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, re-wetted once or twice a week. Expert source 2
Keepers culture it on calcium clay, charcoal, plaster, coco coir or soil. Several sellers report clay as the easiest to harvest from. Hobby consensus 4, 6–8
Sprinkle a very small pinch of yeast once or twice a week. Take out old yeast if some is left.Granulated or brewer's yeast, once or twice a week, is the standard food. The laboratory method feeds twice a week and removes uneaten yeast before adding more. Hobby consensus 2, 4, 7, 8
Some sellers feed a mix of yeast and ground grain instead of pure yeast. Hobby consensus 5, 6
A sliver of mushroom, a few grains of rice or fish food are used as occasional alternatives to yeast. These come from single sellers. Anecdotal 4, 5
Warning Overfeeding is the usual cause of trouble. Uneaten food rots or moulds, and the laboratory method removes old yeast and aerates the culture at least once a week. Expert source 2, 8
The substrate should be damp all the way through, like a wrung-out sponge, and never waterlogged. A dry culture crashes and standing water drowns animals. Hobby consensus 4, 7
Model assumption The simulator reads damp-but-not-waterlogged as a wetness index of 0.6 to 0.9 on a 0 to 1 scale. The index is a model scale and not a measurement. The bounds follow keeper descriptions, not a laboratory test. Hobby consensus 4, 7
A tight lid with a few mesh-covered holes, or lifting the lid at feeding time, gives enough air exchange. Heavy ventilation dries cultures faster than they can be watered. Hobby consensus 4–6
The laboratory method keeps about 2 to 3 adults per square centimetre of substrate to avoid overcrowding. Expert source 2
It is rated the easiest species to start with. It breeds quickly on damp substrate with yeast, and sellers describe a starter portion becoming a working culture within weeks. Hobby consensus 4–6

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 2, 4, 7, 13
In an enclosure
Establishes readily Hobby consensus 2, 4, 7, 13
Used as
Clean-up crew, Feeder culture, Research model Hobby consensus 2, 4, 7, 13
It readily builds a self-sustaining population in damp bioactive enclosures with leaf litter and a little food. Hobby consensus 4, 13 Unchecked
Keepers use it as a cleanup crew in tanks, as a feeder culture for small animals, and laboratories use it as a research model. Hobby consensus 2, 4, 7 Unchecked

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
  • The enclosure holds 21–27 °C70–81 °F. This species does best in 15–22 °C59–72 °F, so part of that range is outside its best.
  • The substrate stays wet, and this species does best when it is wet.
  • Airflow is low, which is what this species is kept with.
  • 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
  • The enclosure holds 18–26 °C64–79 °F. This species does best in 15–22 °C59–72 °F, so part of that range is outside its best.
  • The substrate stays damp. This species does best when it is wet, so the match is partial.
  • 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 Good fit
  • The enclosure holds 16–28 °C61–82 °F. This species does best in 15–22 °C59–72 °F, so part of that range is outside its best.
  • The substrate stays damp. This species does best when it is wet, so the match is partial.
  • 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.
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
  • The enclosure holds 19–28 °C66–82 °F. This species does best in 15–22 °C59–72 °F, so part of that range is outside its best.
  • The substrate stays damp. This species does best when it is wet, so the match is partial.
  • Airflow is medium. This species is usually kept with low airflow.
  • 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 Marginal fit
  • The enclosure holds 8–20 °C46–68 °F. This species does best in 15–22 °C59–72 °F, so part of that range is outside its best.
  • The substrate stays wet. This species does best when it is wet, so the match is partial.
  • Airflow is medium. This species is usually kept with low airflow.
  • 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 Poor fit
  • The enclosure holds 21–32 °C70–90 °F. That is outside the 15–22 °C59–72 °F this species does best in.
  • The substrate stays mostly dry. This species does best when it is wet.
  • 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 Poor fit
  • The enclosure holds 22–35 °C72–95 °F. That is outside the 15–22 °C59–72 °F this species does best in.
  • The substrate stays dry. This species does best when it is wet.
  • 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, A cave, A garden, Inside a house Peer-reviewed 3
In trade
Common in trade in North America, UK and Ireland. As of Oct 22, 2026. Hobby consensus 4, 5, 7
The species is found worldwide. In Europe it lives mostly in protected soils such as flower pots, greenhouses and caves, and it is also collected in open, disturbed habitats. Peer-reviewed 3
Nearly all cultures are all-female and breed on their own. You never need to sex or pair them.Most populations reproduce without mating, so every animal is a female. Some wild populations are sexual, including one from Shanghai and one from Cremona in Italy, and those sexual populations carry no Wolbachia bacteria. Peer-reviewed 3, 10
Several sellers in the United States and the United Kingdom stock it as Common White or Temperate White springtails. Hobby consensus 4, 5, 7 Unchecked

Taxonomy and naming history

Warning Cultures sold under this name may not all be the same lineage. The lineages behave differently.Under the name Folsomia candida lie at least two genetic lineages that look alike but differ in how long they live and how many eggs they lay. A genome study of a sexual strain from Shanghai found it differs enough from the common parthenogenetic strains to suggest cryptic speciation. Peer-reviewed 3, 10
Willem described the species in 1902 from a single individual found in a Belgian cave. The name has been applied broadly since, and a narrower reading, Folsomia candida sensu stricto, was later defined from European laboratory strains. Peer-reviewed 3

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
Under active research Researchers are still working out what this is.
Review
Reviewed by a curator

GBIF lists Folsomia candida V.Willem, 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
Common White Springtail Common name Likely
Tropical Pink Springtail Common name Unlikely
Tropical White Springtail Common name Possible
Common White Common name Probable

Open questions and sources

Open questions

  • Which genetic lineage are hobby Common White cultures?

    Molecular Open

    Why it matters. Folsomia candida is at least two lineages that look alike and live differently. Care advice and published life-history numbers may fit one lineage and not another.

    What would help. COI barcodes from several hobby and retail cultures, compared with the laboratory lineages described in the 2015 strain study and the 2023 genome study.

    Tully and Potapov 2015 on Folsomia candida strains

  • Is the best breeding temperature for hobby white springtails cool or warm?

    Husbandry Open

    Why it matters. Some sellers advise a warm room for breeding. The laboratory life-history study found the highest egg output at 15 °C59 °F and a steep fall at 26 °C79 °F for one strain.

    What would help. Side-by-side cultures from the same stock held at 16 °C61 °F, 21 °C70 °F and 26 °C79 °F with weekly counts, repeated for more than one lineage.

  • How long do individuals live in hobby cultures?

    Husbandry Open

    Why it matters. Culture advice depends on how fast a colony turns over. Only a few species have measured life spans, and those come from one laboratory study of one lineage.

    What would help. Records of individually tracked animals at a stated temperature, food and substrate, from more than one culture of the same species. A journal export from the culture journal is a good start.

  • 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

    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 title and abstract; morphology section.

  2. 2

    Biological test method for measuring survival of springtails exposed to contaminants in soil

    Environment and Climate Change Canada

    Link works · Official standard

    Cited at Chapter 2, test organisms; Chapter 2, food and feeding; Chapter 2, culturing, loading density; Chapter 2, culturing, temperature; Chapter 2, culturing substrate.

  3. 3

    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 Material and methods, lineages examined; Introduction; Discussion, taxonomical status of strains; Material and methods, taxonomical description.

  4. 4

    Temperate Springtails Care Guide (Folsomia candida)

    PostPods

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Folsomia candida introduction; introduction; moisture; container; Folsomia candida care summary; feeding; substrate; role in a setup.

  5. 5

    Springtail Care Sheet

    Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Folsomia candida entry; ventilation; diet.

  6. 6

    How To: Starting a White Springtail Feeder Culture on Clay

    MI Beneficials

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at introduction; air exchange; environment; food; setup.

  7. 7

    Springtail Care & Breeding Information

    New England Herpetoculture

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at moisture; temperature; introduction; feeding; breeder culture; uses.

  8. 8

    Calcium Clay Springtail Cultures FAQ and Care

    Frog and Frond

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at feeding; clay cultures.

  9. 9

    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 Table 1, Table 5 and Egg production; Table 1, Table 5, Longevity and mortality; Table 5.

  10. 10

    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 Introduction; Abstract.

  11. 11

    Biology of the Springtails (Insecta: Collembola)

    Hopkin SP. 1997. Oxford University Press

    Verified against a registry · Specialist monograph

    Cited at chapter on external morphology.

  12. 12

    Checklist of the Collembola of the World

    Bellinger PF, Christiansen KA, Janssens F

    Link works · Authoritative database

    Cited at Introduction, external anatomy and morphology.

  13. 13

    FAQ

    Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at bioactive.

Spotted a mistake or know a better source?

Page data reviewed Oct 22, 2026