A springtail's face
Despite possessing six legs, springtails are not insects. They are one of the most numerous macroscopic animals with densities of perhaps 100,000 per cubic metre of soil in many parts of the world! We rarely see them because they are so small. Their name comes from a special "tail" folded beneath their abdomen. It is a two-pronged lever-like appendage that is kept under tension. When released, it can fling a springtail up to 15cm into the air -- the equivalent of a human being jumping over the Eiffel Tower! This individual was moderately large at a length of 2mm or so and was warming itself in the sun with several associates. Focus stacked from 3 shots taken with a Pentax 28mm reversed on a full set of extension tubes.