The springtail is a tiny, primitive insect less than 6 mm long. Springtails are a dull bluish black colour and have no wings. The body is covered with fine hairs that hold a thin blanket of air. This blanket of air makes springtails repel water. Springtails found near ponds are related to the springtails called snow fleas that can be found on the melting snow during spring thaw.
Springtails have only four or five segments in their abdomen, fewer than any other insect.
Their six legs are short. They have antennae about a quarter of the length of their bodies. They have a tube at the end of the abdomen that is probably used for taking in water. There are two main types of springtail. One type is a long-bodied form called 'podurid' that lives mostly on land but can be found on the water as well.