Yuukianura aphoruroides

These neon orange springtails are my personal favorite for slow moving, hardy springtails that increase in number very quickly (unlike Thai Reds which are equally beautiful, but much slower to reproduce). They require moist conditions and prefer warmer temperatures, I’d aim for 73–85°F. They aren’t too fussy on diet, I just make sure they have plenty of decaying organic material such as leaves and wood, and I supplement with fish flakes. Another great no-brainer option for supplementing their feed is to simply buy a jar of Repashy’s Morning Wood Detritivore Insect Gel Premix powder and just sprinkle it in occasionally. Anyhow, if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “You know, I wish I could keep radioactive cheeto dust as a pet,” this is your chance! What are you waiting for?

Ceratophysella sp. “Lilac”

These lightly purple colored springtails may not be the flashiest option, but they are hardy and reliable. They require moist conditions with temps around 70F–80°F. Most any substrate will be fine so long as there’s adequate food in the form of decaying organic matter and/or frass from other bugs. Fish flakes work great for them, as they do for virtually every critter listed on this page. Another great no-brainer option for supplementing springtail diet is to simply buy a jar of Repashy’s Morning Wood Detritivore Insect Gel Premix powder and sprinkle it in occasionally.

Ceratophysella sp. “Yellow Albino”

Exactly the same as the Lilacs linked below, but a yellow albino color variant instead of lightly purple, and every bit as hardy, reliable and prolific. They require moist conditions with temps around 70F–80°F. Most any substrate will be fine so long as there’s adequate food in the form of decaying organic matter and/or frass from other bugs. Fish flakes work just fine for them as does Repashy’s Morning Wood Detritivore Insect Gel Premix powder.

Related care: Ceratophysella sp. “Lilac”.

Coecobrya sp. “Tropical Pink”

These are, hands down, the most prolific springtail I have ever seen to a scary degree. Don’t let the “tropical” in their name fool you, these do just fine at cooler temperatures as well as warmer temperatures, anything from 68F to 90F suits them just fine. Additionally they do great in a wide range of moisture levels, anywhere from near-arid to extremely moist will be just fine. Feed them fish flakes, powdered isopod food, high water content vegetables like cucumber slices, or just let decaying plant matter do the work for you in the form of mold growth. They can be cultured by themselves, but they do far better when paired with roaches or isopods, at the very least consider getting some micro roaches like Nocticola vagus for them to live with. You may ask “why are they called pink when they look cream colored?” and my answer to you is that if you hold your breath, turn your head just right, and completely lie to yourself you too will be able to clearly see that they are indeed pink. Also, I’m absolutely not going to count 100 individual springtails for you; I’m just going to dump a bunch in a deli cup until I feel good about the fact that you have at least 100 springtails to start your new springtail army with.

Lobella sp. “Thai Red”

Beautiful deep red, slow moving springtails from Thailand. They require moist conditions with warm temps around 75–85°F. A substrate rich in organic matter is crucial for these little lookers, and they particularly seem to enjoy sheltering in damp sphagnum moss and brown rot wood. These are slower to reproduce and a little more finicky than any of the other springtails I offer. For that reason I like to supplement with food specifically formulated for detritivores: Repashy’s Morning Wood Detritivore Insect Gel Premix powder.