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Poduromorpha · Neanuridae

Yuukianura aphoruroides

A plump orange springtail. It was sold under several wrong names before experts named it.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. Anecdotal 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 Yuukianura aphoruroides, drawn from sourced body proportions. It is a drawing, not a photograph.
Drawing
Tubercle strength and eye count are schematic for this species. Colour is the keeper description.

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

At a glance

Difficulty
Moderate Anecdotal 3
Growth
Slow Anecdotal 3
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 3
Identification
Strongly supported Stable How sure we are

Not recorded yet: Size, Temperature, Air humidity.

Identification

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. 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 Short and plump The body is short, broad and grub-like with a rounded outline. / Slim tube The body is a smooth tube with segments you can see, and shorter antennae and legs. Varies Inherited: Poduromorpha 4 Naked eye
Main colour Orange or red Orange, rust or brick red. 1 Naked eye
Surface texture Finely grainy The skin looks fine-grained, like very fine sandpaper, with no knobs. / Bumpy with knobs Raised round knobs sit in rows along the back and give a warty look. Varies Inherited: Neanurinae 5 Hand loupe
Scales No scales The body has no scales, only skin and bristles. Inherited: Poduromorpha 4, 5 Hand loupe
Antenna length Shorter than half the body The antennae are short and stubby, clearly less than half the body length. Inherited: Poduromorpha 5 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 6 Stereo microscope
Mouth shape Pointed cone The mouthparts form a short, pointed snout below the head. Inherited: Neanuridae 4, 5 Hand loupe
Jumping organ Absent No forked organ sits under the abdomen, and the animal does not spring. Inherited: Neanurinae 5 Hand loupe
5 characters have no record yet

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

  • Body length
  • Colour pattern
  • Eyes
  • Eye count
  • Spines on the tail end

Identify an animal you have

Answer in any order, with the kit you have.

Husbandry and breeding

  • Difficulty Moderate
  • Growth Slow
  • Yield Low
Airflow
Low Anecdotal 3

Foods

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

Substrates

  • Peat-based soil Good 3

The evidence in detail

Springtails US rates it Intermediate level. Anecdotal 3
Model assumption Springtails US scores its reproduction rate 4 out of 10. The site reads that as slow growth and a low yield. Anecdotal 3
Springtails US cultures it on soil. It advises moist substrate with minimal ventilation. Anecdotal 3
Feed once or twice a week with a springtail food mix, brewer's yeast, another yeast or fish food. The seller says this species benefits from protein such as fish food. Anecdotal 3

Tools

Print a care card

Key numbers and a QR code back to this page.

Bioactive compatibility

Where it lives
Soil

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.
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

Status
Introduced Anecdotal 2
Regions
Asia, Europe, North America Anecdotal 2
Found in
A bought culture, An enclosure, A garden Anecdotal 2
In trade
Regularly available in North America. As of Oct 22, 2026. Anecdotal 3
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. Anecdotal 1, 2
The species is known in the wild in Europe and now in the United States as well, according to the seller. No published survey was read for this site. Anecdotal 2
Springtails US listed it as in stock on 22 October 2026. Anecdotal 3

Taxonomy and naming history

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. Anecdotal 1
Warning Two orange cultures carry this name. One came from Spain and one from Florida. Keep the locality with the culture.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. Anecdotal 1, 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, checked by an expert
Stability
Stable Sources agree and the name has not moved in years.
Review
Reviewed by a curator

GBIF lists Yuukianura aphoruroides (Yosii, 1953). 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
Bilobella aurantiaca Historical label Likely
Bilobella braunerae Historical label Likely
Florida Orange Springtail Locality line Likely
Neanura growae Historical label Likely
Orange Springtail Common name Likely
Protanura sp. Historical label Likely
Bright Orange Colour or form line Tentative
Florida Orange Locality Locality line Probable
Orange Common name Strongly supported

Names used

Name Relationship Author Note
Bilobella braunerae Historical trade identification Used for the first hobby stock in 2022. A collembologist later re-identified it from macro photographs, then microscopy. 1
Bilobella aurantiaca Historical trade identification Also used in trade for the same stock. 1
Protanura sp. Historical trade identification The intermediate genus-level label. 1
Neanura growae Historical trade identification Used for the Florida Orange stock until 2026. It was based on the stock coming from the United States, not on microscopy. 2

Open questions and sources

Open questions

  • Is the Florida Orange Locality the same species as the Spanish Orange?

    Identification Needs a specialist

    Why it matters. Both stocks are now called Yuukianura aphoruroides, but the Florida stock was first named from images alone. The seller keeps them apart by locality.

    What would help. Slide-mounted adults from both stocks, a COI barcode from each, and a record of where and when each was collected.

  • 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 Orange Springtails; Yuukianura aphoruroides Orange Springtail; Florida Orange Springtail.

  2. 2

    Major Springtail Hobby Identification Updates (2026)

    Pavy R. 2026. Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Neanura growae Florida Orange Springtail.

  3. 3

    Springtail Care Sheet

    Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Yuukianura aphoruroides 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; chapter on feeding.

  5. 5

    The Collembola of Fennoscandia and Denmark. Part I: Poduromorpha

    Fjellberg A. 1998. Brill

    Verified against a registry · Specialist monograph

    Cited at Neanurinae; introduction; Neanuridae.

  6. 6

    Checklist of the Collembola of the World

    Bellinger PF, Christiansen KA, Janssens F

    Link works · Authoritative database

    Cited at Introduction, external anatomy and morphology.

Spotted a mistake or know a better source?

Page data reviewed Oct 22, 2026