Elongate-bodied Springtail vs Arctic Springtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Elongate-bodied Springtail Arctic Springtail
Scientific Name Folsomia candida Megaphorura arctica
Order Collembola Collembola
Family Isotomidae Onychiuridae
Size 0.5-1.5 mm 1-2 mm
Habitat Caves Tundra & Arctic
Diet Detritivores Omnivores
Regions Worldwide Svalbard, Arctic Canada, Greenland, northern Scandinavia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Elongate-bodied Springtail

A white eyeless springtail commonly found in soil and cave environments worldwide. It is the most widely used springtail in laboratory ecotoxicology.

💡

Did You Know?

It reproduces by parthenogenesis and is a standard test organism in soil toxicology.

Arctic Springtail

A white, eyeless springtail that lives in soil and under stones in the High Arctic. It lacks a furcula and cannot jump. It survives extreme cold through cryoprotective dehydration, losing most of its body water before freezing.

💡

Did You Know?

This springtail can survive temperatures down to minus 30 degrees Celsius by dehydrating itself until it contains almost no free water.