Folsomia candida (Collembola): A "standard" soil arthropod

Fountain, M. T. and Hopkin, S. P. (2005) Folsomia candida (Collembola): A "standard" soil arthropod. Annual Review of Entomology, 50. pp. 201-222. ISSN 0066-4170 doi: 10.1146/annurev.ento.50.071803.130331

Abstract/Summary

Folsomia candida Willem 1902, a member of the order Collembola (colloquially called springtails), is a common and widespread arthropod that occurs in soils throughout the world. The species is parthenogenetic and is easy to maintain in the laboratory on a diet of granulated dry yeast. F. candida has been used as a "standard" test organism for more than 40 years for estimating the effects of pesticides and environmental pollutants on nontarget soil arthropods. However. it has also been employed as a model for the investigation of numerous other phenomena such as cold tolerance, quality as a prey item, and effects of microarthropod grazing on pathogenic fungi and mycorrhizae of plant roots. In this comprehensive review. aspects of the life history, ecology, and ecotoxicology of F candida are covered. We focus on the recent literature, especially studies that have examined the effects of soil pollutants on reproduction in F candida using the protocol published by the International Standards Organization in 1999.