Garden Springtail
Bourletiella hortensis
This record describes Bourletiella hortensis (species). Recorded family: Bourletiellidae. Recorded order: Symphypleona.
Identification and Appearance
May damage young crops if present in large quantities. One of the few collembolans considered agri-/horticultural pests • considered invasive in the US
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Collembola
- Order
- Symphypleona (Globular Springtails)
- Superfamily
- Sminthuroidea
- Family
- Bourletiellidae
- Genus
- Bourletiella
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
A very common species in gardens; more dehydration-resistant then most Collembola, can be found in dry locations
Geographic Range
holarctic ; recorded from the US, much of Eurasia, Australasia, and S.Africa
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Bourletiella hortensis (Fitch 1863)
About Globular Springtails: the wider group
Order-level background for Symphypleona, the group containing Bourletiella hortensis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Symphypleona (globular springtails) includes ~1,200 described species. These round-bodied springtails are found on vegetation surfaces, in soil, and even on water surfaces where they can skate using surface tension.
Ecological role of the group
Symphypleona feed on fungal spores, pollen, algae, and decaying plant material. They play critical roles in nutrient cycling and are among the first colonizers of disturbed or newly formed soils.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Globular springtails are important bioindicator species used in ecotoxicology testing for soil contamination. ISO standard soil toxicity tests use springtail species like Folsomia candida.
Recorded sources for this group: ISO ecotoxicology standards, soil biology research. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Garden Springtail (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Jim McClarin; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , ceiseman , v belov , KenW , metrioptera