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Insects and other arthropods

Snow springtail

English
Hypogastrura nivicola
Snow springtails (Hypogastrura nivicola)
Photo: iNaturalist/Tom Murray/Some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Snow springtails
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Description

This springtail species is about 1 mm long and belongs to the arthropods, a group distinct from insects. You can often spot it as winter turns to spring, when its dark colour stands out clearly against the snow.

Although the snow springtail’s jumps have earned it the nickname “snow flea,” it is not actually a flea.

Surviving the cold

The snow springtail survives the cold thanks to a glycine-rich protein that acts like an antifreeze. By limiting the formation of ice crystals in its body, it prevents freezing temperatures from damaging its cells.

Thanks to this adaptation, the snow springtail can remain active through winter. By sheltering in the soil beneath a layer of snow, it avoids the coldest temperatures.

Life cycle

In late winter and early spring, when temperatures hover around 0°C, snow springtails climb up through the snow to feed. When it gets colder, they retreat beneath the snow again.

Mating takes place in spring after the snow melts, since females lay their eggs in the soil. Snow springtails then gather in clusters of several thousand individuals, which helps them reproduce and disperse through the environment. They can travel several metres per day.

These tiny arthropods are just as abundant in summer, but they are much harder to spot without the contrast of snow.

Geographic distribution

They are found in the Nearctic zone, comprising North America and Greenland.

The snow springtail lives mainly in soil, leaf litter, moss, and along the edges of ponds. On mild winter and spring days, you can sometimes spot it on the snow. When pond ice melts, it may also float on the water’s surface thanks to its extremely light weight.

French name
Collembole des neiges
Scientific name
Hypogastrura nivicola
English name
Snow springtail