Incredible skin helps springtails to keep dry underwater and always stay clean Explore the springtail waterproof skin's unique microstructures, essential for survival in damp environments. Discover ...

Alias: Springtail, or often they are simply called collembola. These are tiny little insects that are more often mistaken for crumbs or dirt left around the house. They look like a small hairy ant ...

Pest control experts explain how to get rid of springtail bugs in your house, and how to prevent them from coming in in the first place ...

Jeff and Jonathan discuss how a tiny insect helps nurture the soil food web.

Using high-speed photography, researchers led by Víctor Ortega-Jiménez at the Georgia Institute of Technology have solved the mystery of how springtails jump away from danger and successfully ...

Interestingly, springtails were observed almost exclusively jumping backwards, an indication that the creatures evolved their ability as a means to evade predators instead of forward travel.

The springtail’s aerial control is impressive. “They were skydiving, and they were landing on their feet,” one researcher said. Video by Ortega Jiménez et al.

The springtails’ studded skin prevents liquids from forming a continuous film over their skin, which would choke them to death. Instead, the liquids sit on top of the granules as almost ...