Collembola – popularly known as "springtails" – are small and permanently wingless insects. There are approximately 7500 described species worldwide. From India about 230 species under 86 genera, 8 families and 2 sub-orders are known. The present hand book provides pictorial key to 8 families, 11 subfamilies and 82 genera. The classification followed here is after Christiansen & Bellinger (1980).
1. Introduction
2. General morphology of Collembola
3. Collection and preservation of Collembola
4. Systematic account
5. Key to families of Collembola
6. Section Poduromorpha
7. Family Hypogastruridae
8. Family Onychiuridae
9. Section Entomobryomorpha
10. Family Isotomidae
11. Family Entomobryidae
12. Suborder Symphypleona
13. Family Neelidae
14. Family Sminthuridae
Acknowledgements
References