All images on this website have been taken in Leicestershire and Rutland by NatureSpot members. We welcome new contributions - just register and use the Submit Records form to post your photos. Click on any image below to visit the species page. The RED / AMBER / GREEN dots indicate how easy it is to identify the species - see our Identification Difficulty page for more information. A coloured rating followed by an exclamation mark denotes that different ID difficulties apply to either males and females or to the larvae - see the species page for more detail.
Springtails & Bristletails
Springtails
Springtails (Collembola) are the largest group of hexapods. They are small (up to 6 mm) but very abundant, with up to 100,000 reputed to live in each cubic metre of top soil. Most have a tail-like appendage held under their abdomen called a furcula which is held under tension. If they feel threatened it can be released to catapult them into the air to escape. They live in soil and in leaf litter where they eat mainly dead vegetation and microbes, though some eat living plants and can be pests.
Tomoceridae
Springtails in the family Tomoceridae are some of the most frequently encountered species in the UK for two reasons - they are very common and they are large. Identification Guide to the Tomoceridae.