From an evolutionary point of view, Collembola are intriguing, since they share the most
recent common ancestor with insects [1, 3, 10]. With a total of about 8000 species they represent
a widespread and abundant group of terrestrial arthropods worldwide [11]. Their body
plans lack some insect features such as wings, malpighian tubules and cessation of moulting in
the adult stage. Collembolans evolved morphological features that are unusual for hexapods,
such as a furcula, used to jump, and a ventral tube that plays a role in the water balance and
osmoregulation [12–14]. The possession of appendages, such as the furcula, on abdominal segments
in Collembola may be seen as a crustacean heritage; however, the abdominal appendages
of Crustacea are less specialized. In contrast, insects lack any abdominal appendages in the
adult stage, except cerci in some groups.