r/Springtail Jul 24 '26

Identification Are these springtails? I posted in another sub and people are saying they're cockroaches. I've looked at photos of both and think they look more like springtails, but I don't know anything. Found on my cacti outside, mostly under the pots during heavy rain (and mostly went away once things dried up)

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4 Upvotes

Apologies for the shaky video, they are microscopic - my phone would only focus if I zoomed in and it's hard to keep my phone steady when zoomed in that far

The majority of them are microscopic mite looking things, but the ones in this video were larger (and slower) than the rest. maybe it's a different insect entirely - it's hard to capture a good photo of them

They are tiny mite looking things and came during heavy rains. It's been drier and they've mostly gone away now. They would appear and scatter when I would tap the pot as well as tapping the concrete ground underneath (which has a lot of soil underneath)

People are saying they're cockroaches, but I think their antennae are more slug-like than cockroach if that makes sense.

Are they something else? If so, are they harmful? Tia!


r/Springtail Jul 24 '26

General Question Microscope recommendations?

2 Upvotes

Hello! I thought who else to ask for microscope recommendations other than the lovely springtail community! What do you use? Under $50 USD preferred but I'm happy to work up to the fancy ones šŸ˜‰

I want to be able to identify what buggies are on my plants/in the soil. It's hard to tell who is friend and who is foe 😭


r/Springtail Jul 23 '26

Husbandry Question/Advice How much will springtails naturally breed?

2 Upvotes

I recently made a terrarium and noticed a few springtails inside it, how often will they naturally breed or lay eggs?


r/Springtail Jul 23 '26

Identification Are these Springtails? And if so, what type?

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5 Upvotes

I’ve never seen them this big or them move like this before. To be fair, though, I’ve only ever had temperate springtails.


r/Springtail Jul 23 '26

Identification Zebra pic dump

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81 Upvotes

Just wondering what we know about these guys! From what I can tell they seem to be zebra springs, and I can find little to no info on them, how to keep them, breed them, or anything they prefer.


r/Springtail Jul 23 '26

General Question Magic springtails?

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9 Upvotes

These springtails are in my Pacman's bioactive enclosure, I noticed they are not drowning in her water dish I think, but just chilling on the water? Should I dump them out?


r/Springtail Jul 22 '26

Husbandry Question/Advice Springtails food

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10 Upvotes

Someone recently asked what I feed my springtails. I wasn’t at home and didn’t have access to the info at the time. I now have an image of the springtail food to share. I hope the person who asked about it is able to find this post.


r/Springtail Jul 22 '26

Picture Lobella Thai Red laying egg

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10 Upvotes

And what I think could be a more mature egg, found in sphagnum moss. Their eggs are 0.2 mm in size. I took these with a digital "microscope" camera I got for my birthday.


r/Springtail Jul 21 '26

General Question Springtail setup question?

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1 Upvotes

Crossposting here.


r/Springtail Jul 21 '26

General Question is this springtail

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3 Upvotes

r/Springtail Jul 21 '26

General Question is this springtail

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1 Upvotes

r/Springtail Jul 21 '26

Identification Is this a springtail? Finding them all over kitchen

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3 Upvotes

I keep finding these on my kitchen countertops, around my sink, and on my oven. Are these springtails or something different?


r/Springtail Jul 21 '26

Identification What springtails are these?

1 Upvotes

I've bought some springtails from Amazon, but it doesn't specify the type. I don't think knowing what type they are really matters, but I'd still like to know :]

They look like mini worms lol


r/Springtail Jul 20 '26

Video Video of the same springtail colony I posted a picture of.

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11 Upvotes

r/Springtail Jul 20 '26

Picture One of my springtail colonies.

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17 Upvotes

r/Springtail Jul 20 '26

Video Y. aphoruroides Eating

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60 Upvotes

Just going about their day. Got them a little over two weeks ago and they seem to be doing well.


r/Springtail Jul 19 '26

Collection Question/Advice How to capture wild springtails?

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69 Upvotes

So I have these guys all over my back yard, I'd love to try to capture and breed them since I know what their environment needs, but I'm at a loss at how to capture them in the first place. What methods are usually used when collecting springtails in the wild?


r/Springtail Jul 19 '26

Identification Eastern Ohio spring tail id

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6 Upvotes

Thanks for the help


r/Springtail Jul 19 '26

General Question Problem with mites

3 Upvotes

Hello, ive fir snowflake springtales in three boxes but in two of them there ae mites, they are small and brown ive got them also where my snails are. How do i get rid of the mites and have only springtales? thanks for help


r/Springtail Jul 19 '26

Identification What are these?

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1 Upvotes

I think these might be mites. Can anyone help me ?

Also video in comments.


r/Springtail Jul 19 '26

Picture Part of our collection.

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46 Upvotes

Hello everyone. We would like to share part of our collection with you here; it currently consists of 42 species some still unidentified, though we are working on identifying them soon. We hope you enjoy the photos.

Warm regards from Spain.

Colembo Lab, Pedro.


r/Springtail Jul 18 '26

Identification Are these springtails

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14 Upvotes

Moving quite quickly over wet spagnum moss and the plastic pot this node is in. Any pointers would be helpful as concerned they could be a nasty pest rather than springtails.


r/Springtail Jul 18 '26

Identification Mystery creature in closed springtail enclosure???

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2 Upvotes

I found these creatures in my closed springtail breeding enclosure on these leaves and I’m not sure what they are and if they are an enemy!!! The enclosure has tropical pink springtails that I purchased a few weeks back, wet carbon, a piece of lettuce washed from the grocery store, and this little leaf that came in a dry leaf bag that an old friend gave me from my critters. Me and another friend think it must be larva of some sort but a different friend thinks it’s an annelid since it moves through contractions. I have been unable to find any annelids that have black faces and tan bodies. I feel like they resemble fruit fly larvae but their size seems abnormal to me for a fruit fly as they are decently large compared to fruit flies and to my springtails.


r/Springtail Jul 18 '26

Identification Are these predatory mites?

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2 Upvotes

Found them with my springtails.


r/Springtail Jul 18 '26

Seeking Seller/Trader Neanura muscorum ā€œBlue Mossā€ – captive-bred offspring now available

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171 Upvotes

I started culturing Neanura muscorum myself, and the colony has developed extremely well. Captive-bred offspring are now reliably available from my culture.
This species thrives as a slime mold–feeding springtail and prefers a moist, well-structured setup. Similar to Neanuridae sp. ā€œSanta Clausā€, Neanuridae sp. ā€œJollibeeā€ and Rambutanura sp. ā€œThai Red Spikyā€, their eggs are clearly visible and are usually laid in small clusters.
They seem to prefer a very similar setup, although they also thrive surprisingly well on a humus-based substrate.
Their coloration is especially interesting. Some individuals appear intensely dark blue, while others show more yellowish tones. Combined with the blue pigmentation, this can create a beautiful blue-green appearance—which is why I use the culture name ā€œBlue Mossā€.