The cosmopolitan 'moss' springtail (Neanura muscorum) navigating a miniature forest of fungi on a decaying log. But it isn't alone — all those transparent blobs on its body are in fact curled-up, hitchhiking nematode worms (you can see these better in the second photo)!

Much like the baby mite in my last post, these tiny worms are using a larger animal to help them disperse to new environments. It's thought that this 'phoretic' behaviour might be a stepping stone in how parasitism evolved in some nematodes.

Read all about the incredible ways soil animals have adapted to the challenges of life, in my upcoming book #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet, which lands just one month from now!

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Nature #Entomology #Soil