Springtails or Collembola
These are very small insect-like animals that are very abundant.
There are probably more springtails then insects on earth.
Spingtails can be given as a living food for terrarium-animals.
Springtails get more activ at lower temperatures.
Springtails anatomy
Although these creatures look like insect, they are more related
to Crustacea, like the shrimp.
They have springtail or furcula that gives them the ability to
jump and in this way to escape therepredators. All springtails
have an ventral tube that they use to drink. They breath trough
there soft and thin skin.
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How to collect Collembola's
A Berlese funnel trap is easely made by yourself : it produces heat and
light and in this way drive the springtails out of the leaves, as springtails
prefer moist, cool conditions and rarely leave the cover of dead leaves.
The springtails escape through the sieve aqnd fall into the basket ,
were they can be collected.
How to raise Collembola's
Collembola feed on a great variety of resources, such as fungi, bacteria,
mosses, spores, decaying plants and debris. The collembola that lives in
the upper parts of leaves litter are fond of fungi, champignons.
So if you want to feed youre springtails give them one champignon
( Agaricus bisporus) a day. But fallen leaves, bread, wheat and so on
will also do the job.
Most common springtails do not survive in dry conditions.
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