About Folsomia ciega and Folsomia unioculata:
- They are two new species of tiny soil-dwelling creatures called springtails.
- They were discovered in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats.
- Both species belong to the genus Folsomia.
- Folsomia ciega, named after the Spanish word for ‘blind’, lacks eyes entirely.
- It is a small, pale, and elongated springtail and is distinguished by the arrangement of bristles and a two-pronged tail structure called a mucro.
- Folsomia unioculata, meaning ‘one-eyed’ in Latin, has a single eye on each side of its head.
- It differs from related species that either have multiple eyes or are completely blind.
What are Springtails?
- Springtails (Collembola) are tiny insect-like creatures.
- They are one of the world’s tiniest arthropods.
- They lack wings, and the body is divided into three parts: head (with short antennae), thorax, and abdomen.
- They are creamy white or grey in colour, with some having yellow, orange, metallic green, or red scales.
- Their skin has comb-like hexagonal or rhombic granules that are water repellent and self-cleaning.
