Lipothrix Springtail vs Arctic Springtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lipothrix Springtail Arctic Springtail
Scientific Name Lipothrix lubbocki Megaphorura arctica
Order Collembola Collembola
Family Sminthuridae Onychiuridae
Size 0.5-1.0 mm 1-2 mm
Habitat Underground Tundra & Arctic
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Europe Svalbard, Arctic Canada, Greenland, northern Scandinavia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Lipothrix Springtail

A tiny globular springtail found on vegetation and leaf litter surfaces. It has a compact round body typical of the family Sminthuridae.

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Did You Know?

Males of this species deposit sperm packets on stalks and perform elaborate courtship dances to guide females to them.

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.

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Did You Know?

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