Springtail

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tiny wingless insect-like creature that leaps into the air using a forked appendage folded under its abdomen
2. A minute six-legged arthropod found in soil and leaf litter that springs away by flicking a tail-like structure
3. Any small wingless collembolan that can propel itself through the air with a spring-loaded forked organ beneath its body

Etymology: A springtail is named for a tiny forked organ on its underside that it uses to launch itself into the air. Folded under the abdomen like a spring held in a catch, this appendage snaps out when released, flinging the animal several body-lengths away. The name is a plain compound of "spring" and "tail," describing exactly that mechanism rather than any resemblance to a true tail. Despite the name, springtails are not insects in the strict sense. They are hexapods, a group that has six legs and mouthparts tucked inside the head, and they belong to a lineage separate from the winged insects. Their small size and habit of living in soil, leaf litter and damp places explain why they are so easy to overlook.