David Marr & Ann Arnold, Springtails – the tiniest critters you’ve never heard of, ABC News, 27 January 2026
Springtails are pretty much everywhere, and all over the world. They are important nutrient recyclers, but not many people know about them.
- Guest: Mark Stevens, Senior research scientist at the South Australian Museum. Affiliate associate professor at Adelaide University’s School of Biological Sciences. Co-author, with Cyrille D’Haese of Sorbonne University, of an article on springtails for The Conversation
- Producer: Ann Arnold
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Image Details
Macro photograph of a springtail (Dicyrtomina saundersi), a tiny yet fascinating soil-dwelling arthropod from the order Collembola. This is just one of many different springtail species. Springtails play a crucial ecological role in decomposing organic matter, supporting healthy soil ecosystems.
Read more: Meet the springtails: little-known fantastic beasts that live everywhere on Earth