Spotted Springtail vs Ellipes Pygmy Mole Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spotted Springtail Ellipes Pygmy Mole Cricket
Scientific Name Orchesella cincta Ellipes minuta
Order Collembola Orthoptera
Family Entomobryidae Tridactylidae
Size 3.0-5.0 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Forests Rivers & Streams
Diet Detritivores Detritivores
Regions Europe Central America, South America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Spotted Springtail

A large banded springtail found in leaf litter and under bark in European forests. It has distinctive dark and yellow banding.

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Did You Know?

This is the first springtail species to have its metallothionein genes fully characterized for pollution biomonitoring.

Ellipes Pygmy Mole Cricket

One of the smallest orthopterans in the world, barely visible to the naked eye. It lives in moist sand and mud along tropical waterways.

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Did You Know?

At just 3 mm long, it is smaller than many ants and is easily overlooked even by entomologists specifically searching for it.