Springtails

Collembola, or springtails, are a group of hexapod invertebrates closely related to insects. They are present in vast numbers in the ecosystems of the Second Carboniferous, filling numerous niches previously occupied by other organisms, although some remain scavenger microfauna and continue in the style of their ancestors.

Springtails are known for a specialized appendage, the furcula, which in their modern representatives is used to escape potential threats by launching the animal at random. In future springtails, the furcula has diversified into new forms and functions.

Evolution
As part of the hexapod lineage, springtails are attested to in the fossil record dating back to the Devonian Period. They began as cryptozoa with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution, being able to adapt to most weather conditions. Collembola in the Anthropocene fed on decaying organic material as well as organisms that thrived on it, including fungus and bacteria. They were responsible for the redistribution of soil microorganisms and considered the backbone of soil health alongside other small invertebrates such as mites and nematodes.

During the Sixth Mass Extinction, most springtails thrived. While their diversity was slightly cut back, the majority of non-specialized springtail species were able to adapt to the changing climate, which favored the smallest and toughest species. Tropical springtails especially thrived in the new climate, and easily outcompeted larger organisms in similar roles such as woodlice and detritivorous beetles. Due to their small size and thus slightly differently-scaled diet they were unaffected by the prevalence of plastic insects, which survived due to their near-ubiquity and their ability to subsist on plentiful human garbage. As the climate began to recover and shift into the Second Carboniferous, springtails were able to diversify and shift into more specialized roles previously occupied by other organisms.

Representatives

 * Wingtails
 * Clingers
 * Scavenger microfauna