Springtails eat mold myth busted

Springtails eat mold myth busted

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The only time I observed springtail eat mold

I've been culturing white, silver and orange springtails on different mediums feeding them various food.

My springtails certainly like yeast and cereal flakes.

The leftovers of food gets spoiled on occasions when I feed them too much.

Different types of fungus and mold start growing on spoiled food.

As in this example, you can see some green growing on top of spoiled cereal flakes.

Springtails gather around food, but never around mold growing in my cultures.

Usually I remove mold by swiping it away to prevent any further mold contamination.

Otherwise Springtails cultures actually die out if mold spreads over most of the surface.

It goes against common believe that Springtails feed on mold.

Springtails certainly prefer to eat the same food that mold would otherwise feed on.

Basically, Springtails compete against mold for the same source of nutrition.

And Springtails are very useful as cleaners of leftover food and other detritus in terrariums.

But not as active mold eaters.

Here you can see a very rare occasion I recorded a Silver springtail (Lepidocyrtus) feeding on mold.

That's it.

This is the only instance I've ever seen a Springtails feeding on mold.

Neither temperate white nor orange Yuukianura springtails ever eat mold in my observations.

I could not find videos showing any springtails actually eating mold the way this silver does it.

And again - I observed it only one time!

I want to believe there are mold eating Springtails among thousands different species.

Save me from fancy scientific talks - show me the videos of your springtails eating mold.

We all need mold eating Springtails for our terrariums.

And many of us would love to have mold eating springtails in our apartments too!

I am looking forward to see your videos - post links in comments!

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Have fun and happy Springtails :)