The snowflea, Hypogastrura nivicola , is a dark blue collembolan that is often found on the surface of melting snow in late winter or early spring. Other cold-loving species are found on the surface of glacial ice in the far North. Females of some Sminthuridae cover their eggs with a glaze of freshly eaten soil and fecal material. This mixture evidently protects the eggs from dehydration and fungal attack. Like other non-insect hexapods, Collembola continue to molt after they reach sexual maturity.
Some springtails live in caves or in the burrows of small mammals.
A few species, including all members of the family Cyphoderidae, live in the nests of social insects. Springtails come in a wide variety of decorator colors, including white, pink, yellow, green, orange, red, blue, and indigo.