Springtails (Class Collembola) are small, wingless, soil-dwelling arthropods. They vary in body shape, size, and colour, and dwell in various terrestrial habitats both above and below the surface. They can also be found in riparian areas, on the surfaces of lakes, the intertidal zone and on snow fields during spring thaw where they can be easily seen gathering in large groups. In forest soils, Collembola are an abundant group of soil arthropods, with densities ranging from 45,000 to 340,000 individuals per metre square. Densities of Collembola can be extremely high in colder climates and they can represent a significant proportion of the animal biomass below ground. As a result of these high numbers, Collembola are easily found in most habitats.

The general collembolan body is composed of three parts; the head; the thorax, with three segments and three pairs of legs; and the abdomen, with five segments. In some species, the thoracic and abdominal segments can be fused, giving the body a more globular appearance. The head bears the mouthparts, one pair of antennae and a pair of compound eyes that may be absent in some species. On the bottom of the fourth abdominal segment is a spring-loaded furca that is responsible for the Collembola’s common name, springtail.

Juveniles develop directly into adult males and females differing in size, colour, and proportions. Collembola moult throughout their life with four to more than 50 instars (larval stages). Collembola feed on various organic materials including decomposing plants and animals, bacteria, fungi, and pollen as well as being predators or even cannibalistic.

This is an ancient group with specimens from fossil records dating back to the Devonian. There are approximately 9,000 species worldwide. There are more than 500 documented species in Canada, with an estimated number to be closer to 675 species. The difference in numbers reflects the inconsistent sampling across the diverse Canadian landscape and an increase in genetic assessment of specimens.

The list of collembola in the NWT General Status Ranks was based on a preliminary literature review completed in 2017. While Babenko et al. (2019) reported only 105 species, they also suggested that species known to occur in Alaska could be found in the northern parts of Canada. This could boost collembolan diversity by a few hundred additional species. The proximity to other landscapes and limited survey work makes this a low estimate of the true species diversity of Collembola within the NWT. The list of springtails provided in the NWT General Status Ranks is the result of various historical sampling programs in the region and provides a hint to the distribution and considerable diversity of collembola in the NWT. It is a good starting point towards increasing our understanding of this fascinating group of arthropods.

There are 111 species of springtails confirmed present in the NWT. Many more species are expected to be present: the expected species in the NWT General Status Ranks are a bare minimum.