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springtail |
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springtail, common name for any of the minute, primitive six-legged arthropods of the order Collembola. The springtail is named for a springlike mechanism on the underside of the abdomen. When at rest, the organ is folded forward and held in place under tension by a clasping structure; when the mechanism is released, the insect is able to jump a distance many times its own length. Of cosmopolitan distribution, springtails may be found in moist, dark places, on the surface of freshwater or tidal pools, and even on snow. They feed on decaying vegetation, algae, pollen, and other materials. Springtails are classified in the phylum Arthropoda Arthropoda (ärthrŏp`ədə) [Gr.,=jointed feet], largest and most diverse animal phylum. ..... Click the link for more information. , class Entognatha, order Collembola. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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For some male-female pairs, the researchers dropped in several members of an arthropod species commonly found living with wild mosses, either the springtail Isotoma caerulea or the mite Scutovertex minutus. The smallest is the tiny springtail, which is an almost microscopic 1/25 of an inch long. While El Nino's rains produced ants, cockroaches and mice in larger numbers this year in the Antelope Valley, it's the springtails that currently have the phones ringing at local pest control offices. |
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