(Describer) Titles: The Bug Chicks, and Solpugid Productions, in association with Texas A and M University. Insects and Human Society. Outside...

Hi. I'm Kristie Reddick. I'm Jessica Honaker. And we both have our master's degrees from the department of entomology here at Texas A&M University. Gig 'em! So I studied camel spiders for my master's work in East Africa. I spent six months in Kenya. And Jessica studied the integrated pest management of tiny, little blackmargined aphids in pecan trees here in Texas. We are researchers. We're teachers. We are digital media specialists. When we graduated, we started a digital media company called Solpugid Productions, and we use it to teach everyone about the fantastic world of insects and spiders. When I was a lecturer here at Texas A&M, I got to teach this class that you guys are taking, and it is the best class at Texas A&M, in my humble opinion. So when we got offered the opportunity to make these insect order videos for the class, we jumped at the chance. So a little bit about how these videos are going to work: We're gonna start with the most primitive insect orders and move our way up to the most evolutionarily advanced, one insect order per video. We'll do taxonomy, morphology, the biology, life history; and we'll talk about the impact, both positive and negative, on human society. And in the end, we'll wrap it all up with a little bit of mythology about these insects and how they've affected human history and culture. Very, very cool. A caveat: We are goofy. We are dorky. We love insects, and we love to teach about them. And by the end of this video series, you're gonna love them too. You'll have an understanding and respect for these amazing creatures, and you will dork out on them. You have been warned.

(Describer) Different insects are shown: including a small green one with wings, hundreds of tiny ones swarming a worm, one with transparent wings climbing a tree, a thin green one looking around, two with translucent white wings, and one crawling on a green leaf before flying off. Titles: The Insect Orders.

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(Describer) Order Collembola : Springtails. Taxonomy.

The word "Collembola" comes from the Greek "coll," which means glue, and "embol," which means bolt or wedge. This refers to an organ called a collophore on the underside of the abdomen that secretes a fluid that helps keep these little guys hydrated. It inflates and can reach all over the body.

(Describer) In an animation, it extends and curls. Title: Morphology.

We've collected some springtails for you, and let me tell you they are tiny, like the size of a grain of salt or smaller. Why are they called springtails? Collembolans have a really special way they get around. Let's face it, when you're the size of a pinhead, crawling doesn't always cut it. Springtails have two special modifications that help: a furcula, which is a two-pronged lever that comes off the end of the abdomen, and a tenaculum, which acts as a latch. Release the furcula,

(Describer) One flips.

and into the air they go. So if you find a tiny animal with a furcula, it's a springtail. They also have reduced or absent eyes and variable entognathus mouthparts. That's a new word: entognathus. That means that they are sort of shoved inside the head cavity, unlike a grasshopper.

(Describer) Title: Biodiversity and Distribution.

There are 6,000 species of springtail that live in leaf litter, soil, on snow, in dead trees, and in moss-- basically everywhere. They have the widest distribution of any hexapod and are found in Antarctica and even on Everest. They're also the most abundant hexapods on the planet. It's estimated that for every square meter of soil, there are about 100,000 springtails. Two of us, 100,000 of them.

(Describer) Title: Biology and Life History.

So, what do these little guys do all day? Well, they eat fungi, and algae, and mold. They're great decomposers. And they try not to get eaten, which is a good evolutionary strategy for any animal. Lots of little things eat collembolans, like small frogs, lizards, and other arthropods.

(Describer) Title: Metamorphosis.

Springtails go through simple metamorphosis, where the immature develop over several molts to reach sexual maturity but look a lot like the adults.

(Describer) One stands on an old plant stem. Title: Collecting.

When you're collecting springtails for your collections, just go out and scrape up some leaf litter. Use a DIY Berlese funnel. Here's how it works: To make a simple Berlese funnel, use a plastic jug and some fine mesh screen.

(Describer) ...over the mouth.

Put a handful of your moss, dirt, or leaf litter inside, and then put a light over it.

(Describer) ...with the bottom cut out.

The collembola will go down to escape the light and fall into the jar under the funnel.

(describer) The bottom of the jug is cut out

(Describer) The bottom of the jug is cut out and the screen is over the mouth. Turned upside-down with the dirt inside, it stands on an open jar and a lamp is pointed down into it.

and the screen is over the mouth. Turned upside down with the dirt inside, it stands on an open jar and a lamp is pointed down into it.

(Describer) Title: Human Impact.

In terms of human impact, there's really not a lot. You can sometimes find springtails in large numbers in greenhouses where they can do some damage, but for the most part, it's no big deal. Basically, if we hadn't told you about them, you'd never know.

(Describer) Title: Mythology and Culture.

In terms of human mythology with springtails, there's really not that much, but there are a few dedicated scientists who have made a collembola art gallery online. We've included the link to the website. There's paintings, photos, tile art, plates, garden sort-of-gnome collembola. They're amazing. You really haven't seen a springtail until you have seen the photography of Brian Valentine. We've included some of his pictures here.

(Describer) The pictures show close-up springtails in different colors, but all with hairs sticking straight out of their abdomen.

Aren't they incredible? Springtails are some of my favorite arthropods. I especially like the globular ones that look like little, fat bunny rabbits. So now you know about some of the amazing creatures that live their lives right under your feet. Tread carefully.

[Grapes play "I Dunno"]

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(Describer) Titles: Written and Produced by Kristie Reddick, Jessica Honaker Videographers: Kristie Reddick, Jessica Honaker All photos, video and illustrations copyright Solpugid Productions and The Bug Chicks unless otherwise attributed Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.