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SPRINGTAIL

Online Encyclopedia

Originally appearing in Volume V25, Page 741 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

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SPRINGTAIL , the See also:

COMMON

common name of a See also:

GROUP

group of small See also:

INSECTS

insects, so named from the presence of a pair of tail-like appendages at the end of the See also:

ABDOMEN (a Latin word, either from abdere, to hide, or from a form adipomen, from adeps, fat)

abdomen, which acts as a See also:

SPRING (from " to spring," " to leap or jump up," " burst out," O. Eng., springau, a common Teut. word, cf. Ger. springer, possibly allied to Gr. QnrFpxecOac, to move rapidly)

spring. When the See also:

INSECT

insect is undisturbed these appendages are turned forwards and held in position by a catch beneath the abdomen; but in See also:

case of alarm they are kicked forcibly downwards and back-wards, jerking the See also:

BODY

body into the See also:

air. This See also:

ACTION

action may be rapidly repeated until a See also:

PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place of safety is reached. These insects usually live under fallen leaves, stones or the bark of trees, and sometimes occur in such quantities as to resemble patches of See also:

POWDER (through O. Fr. puldre, modern poudre, from Lat. pulvis, pulveris, dust)

powder or dust. One See also:

SPECIES

species (Podura aquatica) may be seen floating in this way in masses upon the See also:

SURFACE

surface of See also:

STANDING

standing See also:

WATER

water. Another (Achorutes socialis) may sometimes be found in abundance in the See also:

SNOW (in O. Eng. sndw; a common Indo-European word; cf. in Teutonic languages, Ger. Schnee, Du. sneeuw; in Slavonic snieg', Lith. snegas; Gr. vi4a, Lat. nix, nivis, whence the Romanic forms, Ital. neve, Fr. neige, &c.; Ir. and Gael. sneachd; the original

snow. Zoologically the springtails belong to the sub-See also:

order Collembola of the order See also:

APTERA (Greek for " wingless ")

Aptera (q.v.).

End of Article: SPRINGTAIL

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