Poduromorpha
Order of springtails / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The order Poduromorpha is one of the three main groups of springtails (Collembola), tiny hexapods related to insects. This group was formerly treated as a superfamily Poduroidea.
Poduromorpha | |
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Podura aquatica (Poduridae) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subclass: | Collembola |
Order: | Poduromorpha |
Superfamilies | |
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They can be best distinguished from the other springtail groups by their body shape. The Symphypleona are very round animals, almost spherical and the abdominal segments are not visible. [1] Both Entomobryomorpha and Poduromorpha are long springtails with six visible abdominal segments. While Entomobryomorpha have the first thorax segment reduced, Poduromorpha retain all three. [1] The Poduromorpha also tend to have short legs and a plump body, but more oval in shape than the Symphypleona. Their name means ‘foot tail formed’, deriving from their short, flat, furcula.