Snow flea
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| 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.
Research at Queen's University indicates that the anti-freeze-like protein that allows snow fleas to operate in sub-zero environments may have applications in the storage of transplant organs. By preventing the formation of ice crystals in tissues organs could be stored at lower temperatures, increasing their lifespan outside of a living body. Unlike proteins with similar functions in other species, the protein found in snow fleas breaks down easily at higher temperatures.[1]
