Tiny, ubiquitous engineers: springtails underpin Earth’s ecosystems

Springtails (Collembola) are tiny, ancient invertebrates found in virtually every habitat on Earth—from Mount Everest to Antarctica and even homes. They use a spring-loaded furcula to leap and a moisture-absorbing collophore to survive desiccation. As key players in regulating bacteria and fungi and in breaking down organic matter, they sustain ecosystems across forests, deserts, caves, and more. Giant springtails living in rotting wood can reach up to 17 mm, and recent work reshapes their classification, revealing a southern-hemisphere split tied to Gondwanan history, while warming and drying climates threaten many populations in Australia and New Zealand—a silent mass extinction for these remarkable yet underappreciated creatures.