Pseudosinella violenta

An eyeless, fast springtail that climbs smooth walls.An eyeless runner sold as the Bylas Ant Springtail, a species first labelled Cyphoderus and later identified by microscopy. 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.

Drawing

Schematic plate drawn from the genus. Colour is a keeper description, and body scales are not drawn because no source read for this site states whether they are present.

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 A model estimate from the ranges on this page. See every enclosure type
In trade: Regularly available As of Oct 22, 2026. Anecdotal 2
Identification: Strongly supported Classifications conflict How sure we are

Not recorded yet: Size, Temperature, Air humidity.

Identification

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. Anecdotal 1

No source read for this site states whether this species carries scales. Unknown Open question Do Bylas Ant Springtails carry scales?

Characters to check

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

5 Characters to check
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 3	Naked eye
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 4	Stereo microscope
Eyes	No eyes The head has no dark eyespots. 1	Phone macro
Mouth shape	Blunt mouth The mouth is blunt and the head is rounded in front. Inherited: Entomobryomorpha 3	Hand loupe
Spines on the tail end	No spines The last abdominal segment has no spines. Inherited: Entomobryomorpha 3	Stereo microscope

7 characters have no record yet

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

Body length
Main colour
Colour pattern
Surface texture
Scales
Antenna length
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

Commercial springtail mix Good 2
Dry yeast Good 2
Fish flakes Occasional 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 10 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 with 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

Surface activity: High Anecdotal 5, 6
Escape behaviour: Climbs glass Anecdotal 5, 6
Used as: Clean-up crew Anecdotal 5, 6

A seller photographed this species held back by a climbing barrier, which shows that it climbs smooth walls. Anecdotal 5

One seller recommends it as a single-species pick for isopod tubs. Anecdotal 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.

Fit by enclosure type
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.
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.
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	Marginal 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.
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	Marginal 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.
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.
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.
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	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.

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

Regions: North America
Found in: A bought culture, An enclosure
In trade: Regularly available in North America. As of Oct 22, 2026. Anecdotal 2

Springtails US listed it as in stock on 22 October 2026. Anecdotal 2

Taxonomy and naming history

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. Anecdotal 1

Warning Systems differ on the family of Pseudosinella and its relatives. The working hierarchy here follows the Checklist of the Collembola and puts the genus in Lepidocyrtinae, within Paronellidae. Another system may place it elsewhere. Expert source 4

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: Classifications conflict Sources place this animal differently.
Review: Reviewed by a curator

GBIF lists Pseudosinella violenta (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.

Trade and hobby names
Name	Kind	How likely
Bylas Ant Springtail	Locality line	Likely
Cyphoderus sp.	Historical label	Likely
White Ant Springtail	Common name	Unlikely
Bylas Ant	Locality line	Strongly supported

Names used

Names used
Name	Relationship	Author	Note
Cyphoderus sp.	Historical trade identification		The label used when it first entered the hobby. Microscopy showed it is a similar-looking genus. 1
Pseudosinella sp.	Historical trade identification		The intermediate genus-level label. 1

External records

Open questions and sources

Open questions

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

Springtail Identification and Common Name Resource

Pavy R. Springtails US

Link works · Retailer

Cited at Bylas Ant Springtail.
2

Springtail Care Sheet

Springtails US

Link works · Retailer

Cited at Pseudosinella violenta entry.
3

Biology of the Springtails (Insecta: Collembola)

Hopkin SP. 1997. Oxford University Press

Verified against a registry · Specialist monograph

Cited at chapter on external morphology.
4

Checklist of the Collembola of the World

Bellinger PF, Christiansen KA, Janssens F

Link works · Authoritative database

Cited at Introduction, external anatomy and morphology; Lepidocyrtinae.
5

How to Make a Springtail Climbing Barrier

Pavy R. 2025. Springtails US

Link works · Retailer

Cited at photo captions.
6

Springtails for Isopods

Springtails US

Link works · Retailer

Cited at species picks.

Spotted a mistake or know a better source?

Page data reviewed Oct 22, 2026

Reading level

Theme

Units