Collembola FAQ
 

Collemboles represent the largest Order in the group of insects. They are small, primarily wingless animals, characterised by a typical jumpfork (FURCA) on the underside of their belly. Using the furca they are able to jump, covering comparatively large distances. The Collemboles are grouped together with the Protura and Diplura as Entognatha.

Findings :
Worldwide more than 6000 species are known,about 2000 of these are found in Middle-Europe.

Collemboles live in almost every habitat.They are found beyond the ice-border in mountain ranges, as much as in arctic and Antarctic Regions where they feed upon algae and pollen. The majority of species live in the top- layers of soil, on waste-fauna, sometimes they live on the water. Their populations are sometimes enormously big.

Characteristics:

  • Body: Small animals, 0.2 to 10 m, mostly 1 to 2 mm, elongated cylinder-shape or stout spherical, often grey to brown, sometimes colourless or tainted. Often very hairy.
  • Mouth: Mouthtypes are of the chewing-biting or stinging-sucking type. The parts are set into the head capsule (endognath). Eyes: The eyes consist of max. 8 ocelles, there are no complex eyes. In soil-dwelling species they are partly reduced (although even these animals are able to react light-sensitive).
  • Abdomen: The abdomen consists of 6 segments. On the first segment a ventratubulus inserts.

Biology:

Collemboles develop without metamorphosis. The undergo 6 to 8 (some species up to 40) changes of skin, but reach their maturity before the last stage. Mostly they live in several generations every year. All stages are able to hibernate. Food: They feed upon rotting vegetation, bacteria, fungi, pollen and other organic substances. Some species live raptorial . Under favourable circumstances in one liter of light, forest humus-soil, one finds up to 2,000, on one square meter up to 100,000 individuals. The number decreases fast in deeper layers of oil. It is possible to find them 2 meters deep, but in 15 cm deep soil only a fraction of the population from the top is found. Sometimes mass-populating happens, the surface of the floor becomes a living body. Therefore, in 1918 it was earnestly considered to use the animal’s body-fat in oil-production.

Mating:

The collemboles transfer the semen indirectly.

Enemies:

Colemboles have many enemies: Spiders, bugs, beetles, and other insects, more than anything else they are hunted by rduberische mites.

Significance:

Unobtrusive as they might appear, they play are major role in the rotting of soil and in the food-chain of many ecosystems. Some species may cause problems in green-houses, mushroom plants etc. Sminthurus viridis is e.g. an important varmint in Australia.

Systematics:

The collemboles are grouped together in 4 Subclasses and 20 families. Here only the most important ones: Subclasses:

  • Arthropleona lengthy body .
  • Entomobryidae
  • Isotomidae
  • Onychiuridae
  • Poduridae
  • Symphypleona stout body,
  • Sminthuridae
 

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