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Insect Identification Key Based on your answers to the questions, you have identified your specimen as being in the class Collembola! Members of this class include:
springtails and snowfleas. Etymology:
Collembola comes from the Greek words kolla, which means glue, and embolon, which means peg. This refers to the tube-like structure on its ventral (belly) side. The structure was once thought to be an adhesive appendage, but scientists now know that the organism uses it to excrete fluids. General characteristics: Click here to see examples of more members of this interesting class! Number of recognized species worldwide:
about 6,000 Classification: Kingdom Animalia For a list of all of the orders in this key, click here: List of Orders.
Classification note:
Like members of Diplura and Protura, those in the class Collembola are not insects. These three groups are sometimes listed as orders and combined together within a class called Entognatha (see next paragraph). Along with insects, which are in the class Insecta, they make up the subplylum Hexapoda, a reference to their six legs. Formerly, Protura, Diplura and Collembola were grouped with the order Thysanura into the class Apterygota, and you may still come across this old classification system. The three orders were removed from class Apterygota once scientists determined that they were not in the evolutionary lineage of insects. In other words, these three groups — Diplura, Protura and Collembola — did not give rise to modern-day insects. Scientists are still working out the tree of life for Protura, Diplura and Collembola. Most authorities place them into their own classes: Class Protura, Class Diplura and Class Collembola. Some authorities, however, group them together under one class called Class Entognatha, and still others put only Protura and Collembola in the Class Entognatha and place Diplura in its own class: Class Diplura. Although their name might suggest otherwise, snowfleas aren’t fleas. True fleas on in the order Siphonaptera. Snowfleas are in the order Collembola. Oops! If this doesn't appear to be the order for your insect, go back through the key and look more carefully at your insect while answering the questions again. Your perseverance will reward you! I would like to return to the start of this key. Unless noted otherwise, photographs on this website are the property of the photographers and may not be reused without written permission from the photographers. To obtain permission, request it here. Photos at the top of this website by: Leslie Mertz, Ph.D., LMERTZ@nasw.org. Reproduction of material from any KnowYourInsects.org webpages without written permission is strictly prohibited.
Class Collembola: the springtails and snowfleas
• small
• usually eyeless
• wingless
• soft-bodied
• possess a forked springing organ, called the furculum, on the ventral side
• possess a tube-like structure, called the collophore, on the ventral side
• six or fewer abdominal segments
• direct development (nymphs and adults nearly indistinguishable)
Phylum Arthropoda
Subplylum Hexapoda
Class Collembola
Order Poduromorpha
Order Entomobryomorpha
Order Neelipleona
Order Symphypleona
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