Pogonognathellus longicornis. Image credit: Sanja565658, 2008 (https://eol.org/media/7763529)
Springtails (or Collembola) are omnivorous, free-living arthropods that usually measure less than 6 mm in length, and that prefer moist conditions. Springtails do not directly decompose the organic matter in the soil, but they do contribute to the process indirectly by fragmenting it. Furthermore, springtails regulate of the populations of soil microbes which are part of their diet. Springtails resemble insects but are not insects because they do not possess wings and have soft bodies and hidden mouthparts.
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Diversity in soil: 20 per m2
Abundance in soil: 1-5 x 104 per m2
Classification: Mesofauna