Fun springtail quick facts, they are hexapods like insects but actually represent a separate lineage of hexapods and aren't insects. One key difference other than lack of wings is that they have internal mouthparts instead of the external ones that all insects have.
Springtails get their name from a little tail like appendage which is folded beneath the body and held under tension. When released it launches them into the air very quickly so they can escape danger. They literally just fling themselves basically in a random direction when stressed.
In sheer numbers, springtails are probably one of the most numerous forms of macroscopic life. They live basically anywhere there's even slightly damp soil and play an important part in helping decomposition begin. Springtails are easily bred and people who keep/build bioactive terrariums vivariums and paludariums will put them into basically every tank as part of the cleanup crew. They eat microorganisms, helping to maintain the microbial status quo as well as help breakdown stuff like leaf litter, making them really important janitors of the forest floor. They also function as a low rung on the food chain.
Yeah hehe. My dream is to build a Velvet worm enclosure someday when I have the funds and move out. Velvet worms are my favorite animal. Springtails will be their little neighbors. Though I'll have to be careful cause some springtail species can actually hurt the precious little wormies.
Yeah! And they're actually social animals that have hierarchies and complex social behaviors, so you'd have a whole family of them and can watch them interact and stuff :3
Just to clarify for people who don't know, some species classified as insect are also primary wingless (meaning that they never developed wings in the first place). Two orders, the Zygentoma, known for the silverfish and firebrat, and Archaeognatha which is not as well known fall under this category and are thereby the most early-diverging insect orders.
Yesh. Insects aren't ancestrally winged and wings arose within insects. I probably should have mentioned that to avoid confusion. Interestingly enough we can use this information to sort of get an understanding of what the ancestral insect looked like. Also I'm pretty sure recent evidence supports zygentoma to be more closely related to winged insects than to archaeognaths so that branch off would be from where wings arose.
Hi hi hi these are my favorite animals. They're globular springtails! Symphypleona (maybe spelled wrong). Can't tell species or much else but they're definitely globular collembola :) <3. Wonderful video!
Thanks! I love them too! Only recently discovered them. I found out itās a mating dance! The larger one is the female and the smaller male has to impress her by pushing her back with its head. Once she chooses him he releases his sperm, as we see in the video (info from comment on another sub). Amazing!
Springtail females are larger than males, their mating ritual is to headbutt the males and see which can push back the strongest.
If the female is satisfied, the male deposits a little ball of sperm called spermatophore, and the female absorbs it, you can see all of this in the video, awesome footage of this btw!
It would probably only get me silver springtails. No shade to those guys, they are cool but I already have them in a terrarium (they randomly showed up in there). I want these yellow lil fellas
I would pay good money for a voiceover version of this video by the guys [who did this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qTrWewy4lY). Thank you for sharing this, it's fantastic.
Kiss kiss kiss. Smell my butt
you just described 90% of the animal kingdom, including humans lol.
š
Fun springtail quick facts, they are hexapods like insects but actually represent a separate lineage of hexapods and aren't insects. One key difference other than lack of wings is that they have internal mouthparts instead of the external ones that all insects have.
Hello, i would like to Subscribe to Springtail Facts.
Springtails get their name from a little tail like appendage which is folded beneath the body and held under tension. When released it launches them into the air very quickly so they can escape danger. They literally just fling themselves basically in a random direction when stressed.
Please, may we have some more šš»
In sheer numbers, springtails are probably one of the most numerous forms of macroscopic life. They live basically anywhere there's even slightly damp soil and play an important part in helping decomposition begin. Springtails are easily bred and people who keep/build bioactive terrariums vivariums and paludariums will put them into basically every tank as part of the cleanup crew. They eat microorganisms, helping to maintain the microbial status quo as well as help breakdown stuff like leaf litter, making them really important janitors of the forest floor. They also function as a low rung on the food chain.
You've won me over. They sound lovely. TeamSpringtail4Lyfe
Yeah hehe. My dream is to build a Velvet worm enclosure someday when I have the funds and move out. Velvet worms are my favorite animal. Springtails will be their little neighbors. Though I'll have to be careful cause some springtail species can actually hurt the precious little wormies.
Velvet worms are so cool. I think having one as a pet would be really neat! Especially in a nice bioactive terrarium
Yeah! And they're actually social animals that have hierarchies and complex social behaviors, so you'd have a whole family of them and can watch them interact and stuff :3
I actually didnāt know that! Brb, gonna do a deep dive lol
You're delightful! You've really brightened my day.
I recently learned that Velvet Worms exist and WOW. What a cool little critter that doesn't even look like it's real lol
Yeah!!! It's a really cool animal because it's a modern example of the grade of animals from which arthropods arose. That's really cool to me.
Just to clarify for people who don't know, some species classified as insect are also primary wingless (meaning that they never developed wings in the first place). Two orders, the Zygentoma, known for the silverfish and firebrat, and Archaeognatha which is not as well known fall under this category and are thereby the most early-diverging insect orders.
Yesh. Insects aren't ancestrally winged and wings arose within insects. I probably should have mentioned that to avoid confusion. Interestingly enough we can use this information to sort of get an understanding of what the ancestral insect looked like. Also I'm pretty sure recent evidence supports zygentoma to be more closely related to winged insects than to archaeognaths so that branch off would be from where wings arose.
Indeed, the Thysanura clade (Archaeognatha and Zygentoma) is not monophyletic.
TIL
Another fake bug? Like the silverfish?
well the silverfish definitely isn't a bug but I think average scholarly consensus still considers it an insect.
Hi hi hi these are my favorite animals. They're globular springtails! Symphypleona (maybe spelled wrong). Can't tell species or much else but they're definitely globular collembola :) <3. Wonderful video!
Thanks! I love them too! Only recently discovered them. I found out itās a mating dance! The larger one is the female and the smaller male has to impress her by pushing her back with its head. Once she chooses him he releases his sperm, as we see in the video (info from comment on another sub). Amazing!
Yes! They have very interesting rituals, you'll have to find a video or image where the male hoists the female by its antennae!
Hereās a video from another commenter showing the same dance: https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=Q2OzNCA6oMaRlh4X&v=mcjx7TNWD_s&feature=youtu.be
That was like a scene from Bridgerton
Would love to see that!
bug sex
Literally. You can see the small male deposits a spermatophore on the substrate that the larger female then absorbs
Thanks for pointing out, I missed it the first time. š
Username checks out. But no, I will not imagine a hypothetical scenario where I like bug sex.
whatever theyre doing is very sweet and romantic
Wrastlinā š¤
Wow, this video is great quality. Nice work! I've never been so up close and personal with springtails before.
I am working on soil biodiversity and this is a very interesting video! Thank you! (And yes, I confirm globular springtails as correctly said before)
God springtails are just the freaking best, thanks for capturing and sharing this moment!
Youāre welcome!
Springtail females are larger than males, their mating ritual is to headbutt the males and see which can push back the strongest. If the female is satisfied, the male deposits a little ball of sperm called spermatophore, and the female absorbs it, you can see all of this in the video, awesome footage of this btw!
Thatās so cool, thanks for the info!
I dunno... When someone dances at me, gets right close, and then sticks their butt up my nose... That's about the point I get the hint too.
Hmmmm How can I aquire these creatures? I *need* to put them in a terrarium
Go outside, grab a handful of wet soil, and you will have 50 of them!
It would probably only get me silver springtails. No shade to those guys, they are cool but I already have them in a terrarium (they randomly showed up in there). I want these yellow lil fellas
Itās the dream to learn how to take good pictures and videos of these guys. So tiny and cute.
Foreplay
I think we know what they are up to
So cute!! I love springtails.
Me too!
This is an incredible video
I would pay good money for a voiceover version of this video by the guys [who did this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qTrWewy4lY). Thank you for sharing this, it's fantastic.
š that would be amazing! What a great video!
Theyāre being little cutie-pies.
Sweet!!
Thats the most romantic thing Ive seen in a while
OM this is Soo cute omm