Snow flea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iSnow flea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Hexapoda Class: Entognatha Order: Collembola Family: Hypogastruridae Genus: Hypogastrura Species: H. nivicola
Binomial name
Hypogastrura nivicola (Fitch, 1846)

Snow fleas are a species of springtail, specifically Hypogastrura nivicola. They are so called because they can most easily be observed jumping about on the surface of the snow on a warm winter day. The dark blue color of these tiny insects (1 to 2 mm long) helps them show up as specks that have been compared to pepper or ashes scattered on the snow. Snow fleas eat decaying organic matter. Like other springtails, the snow flea is able to leap by releasing a tail-like projection (furcula) hooked to the abdomen--this "spring" catapults the insect in a random direction.

[edit] External links

• http://www.fcps.edu/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/snow_flea.htm