TABLE 1.
Collembola traits used in the study and their potential functions
| Trait | Potential function | Trait states | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abdominal modifications | Excretion, digestion, reproduction, colonization of specific (micro)habitats | Abdomen IV elongated, spherical abdomen, fused abdomen | Hopkin (1997), Suhardjono et al. (2012) |
| Antennae modifications | Sensory function, modified antennae in some genera (clasping antennae) also used for mating | Clasping antennae, subdivided antennae I and II, subdivided antennae III and IV, antennae I very long, antennae IV shorter than III | Hopkin (1997), Suhardjono et al. (2012) |
| Body size | Metabolic demands, dispersal ability, predator–prey interactions |
Total length from the front of the head to the end of the abdomen: small: <0.7 mm, medium: 0.7–1.2 mm, large: >1.2 mm |
Hopkin (1997) |
| Empodial appendage | Helping to walk, particularly on wet surfaces | Present, absent |
Christiansen (1965) |
| Furca development | Active dispersal abilities of species and predator avoidance | Furca absent, short, straight furca, long furca | Hopkin (1997), Ponge and Salmon (2013) |
| Mouthparts | Type of food or feeding strategy. Small size of the apical mouth opening and no molar plate indicate absence of capability to convey solid food particles | Molar plate present or absent (piercing‐sucking mouthparts) | Hopkin (1997), Suhardjono et al. (2012), Adams (1979) |
| Postantennal organ (PAO) | Sensory function, particularly in olfaction | PAO absent, PAO simple, PAO complex | Hopkin (1997), Suhardjono et al. (2012) |
| Pigmentation | UV protection, thermodynamic buffering and signaling, camouflage | Absent, diffuse, intensive, patterned | Hopkin (1997), Salmon et al. (2014) |
| Scales | Desiccation protection, thermodynamic buffering and signaling, potentially predation avoidance | Present, absent | Hopkin (1997), Salmon et al. (2014), Hawes and Greenslade (2015) |
For more details on the traits, see http://ecotaxonomy.org/traits. Combinations of different traits (life form) are related to trophic niches of species and thus their role in ecosystems (Potapov et al., 2016).