What features distinguish springtails in the class Collembola?

Springtails (order Collembola) are small, primitively wingless arthropods that are often grouped with apterygotes due to their lack of wings. While sometimes classified as true insects, they are occasionally placed in the class Parainsecta.123

Key distinguishing features include:

• Anatomy: They possess six legs and no more than six abdominal segments. Their mouthparts are internal, enclosed within folds of the head.24
• Collophore: All members possess a ventral, tube-like structure on the first abdominal segment called a collophore, which is used for water uptake and secreting adhesive substances.125
• Furcula: Most species feature a forked, tail-like appendage known as a furcula attached to the abdomen. Held by a clasping structure called a tenaculum, this organ allows the animal to catapult itself, though they typically move by crawling.124

Springtails are widely distributed, thriving in moist environments like soil, leaf litter, and on the surface of water or snow.124