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Photo#1321665
Springtail

Springtail
Chantry Flats, San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County, California, USA
December 10, 2016
Size: ~2.5mm

Moved

Tomoceridae
Severely damaged specimen: note antennae curledup, body scales partly removed, and furca extended.

 
Thank you
Are you able to speculate what might have caused this damage?

 
Possibly...
an exhausted specimen (furca extended), or dehydrated specimen (scales lost). When scaled Collembola lost their scales, they need to moult quickly to survive (to built a new scale cover), if not they will dehydrate. If a specimen is chased by a predator, it will jump to escape. If it has to perform a series of jumps, it becomes so exhausted it cannot 'windup' its spring for another jump. Then the furca remains extended and the specimen will be unable to jump. When a predator grabs a scaled Collembola, the scales will release to enable the specimen to escape. The predator will end up with a 'mouth full' of scales...
Speculation: the specimen might be a victim of a predator that was able to escape but became so exhausted and dehydrated it ended up dead, eventually...

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