Lilac Springtails (Ceratophysella sp.) – Temperate, soft-colored species ideal for bioactive insect and isopod habitats.

Tiny, vibrant, and endlessly useful, Ceratophysella springtails are a stunning violet-tinted microfauna species prized for their efficiency in cleanup, their hardiness in diverse climates, and their potential as a live feeder for small insectivores. Known colloquially as “Lilac Springtails” for their purplish hues under magnification, these beauties don’t just add function to your setup, they add character.

A bit larger and more robust than standard Folsomia candida, Ceratophysella species are quick reproducers that thrive in damp, detritus-rich environments. Whether you're running a humid vivarium, a tropical isopod colony, or a fruit fly culture, these springtails work behind the scenes, decomposing waste, cycling nutrients, and controlling mold before it becomes a problem.

Their bold coloration and higher visibility also make them an excellent educational species for classrooms, bioactive hobbyists, and breeders who want to see their microfauna in action.

Why Choose Lilac Springtails?

• Excellent bioactive cleanup crew for tropical or temperate terrariums

• Tolerates higher humidity and warmer temperatures than many other species

• Fast reproducers with a hearty appetite for mold, decaying plant matter, and waste

• Highly effective in frog tanks, isopod bins, and fruit fly cultures

• Doubles as live food for tiny invertebrates, amphibians, and micro predators

🧪 Perfect for natural setups that require both biological cleanup and micro-prey.

How to Introduce Them
Pour the entire culture into your substrate layer or hide pockets of leaf litter and moist zones within your enclosure. Lilac Springtails will quickly spread to areas with the highest organic content and moisture. You’ll see them gather around decomposing wood, under damp moss, and near waste zones, quietly breaking down material and preventing mold from taking over.

They’re excellent at forming springtail “colonies” in fungal hotspots, keeping bioactive ecosystems balanced and clean.

Feeding & Maintenance
While they’ll feast on detritus naturally, Ceratophysella springtails benefit from occasional boosts of powdered spirulina, yeast, or crushed flake food sprinkled in moist areas. Their colonies grow fast when fed well and kept between 68–78°F with moderate to high humidity.

🐸 Want to boost micro-predator health? These springtails also make a nutritious supplemental food source for dart frogs, small geckos, and tiny arthropods like slings and ant queens.

What Makes Them Unique
Unlike many other springtail species, Lilac Springtails are more visible and colorful, making them easier to observe and monitor. Their faster life cycle and resilience in both culture tubs and live enclosures make them a go-to choice for breeders, feeders, and keepers who want reliability and performance.

Because of their size and productivity, they’re often used as part of feeder rotation systems, offering enrichment and nutrition to species that struggle with static dry diets.

Best Use Cases

• Tropical vivariums and planted terrariums with high humidity

• Bioactive setups housing dart frogs, geckos, millipedes, or isopods

• Fruit fly cultures or feeder insect breeding bins

• Microfauna starter cultures for mushroom cultivation or soil inoculation

• Classroom displays, STEM terrariums, or visible soil food webs

🪱 Whether you're building a thriving ecosystem or raising healthy micro-predators, Lilac Springtails offer a beautiful and effective edge to your bioactive toolkit.

🛒 Add Lilac Springtails (Ceratophysella sp.) to your cart today and bring home a versatile cleanup crew that pulls double duty as both janitor and feeder.