The tale of the wonky Orchesella cincta

A single Orchesella cincta from the pitfall trap. The wonky antennae could be due to a number of reasons, but I'd bet my money on an encounter with a predator, during which many springtails are happy to regard antennae as "optional extras", useful though they are. Springtails are on the menu for pretty much every carnivorous or omnivorous species out there (although I haven't tried them myself yet - I bet they taste like chicken). Frustrating though this may be for springtails fans it's probably a good thing. Being knee deep in springtails would be a rather itchy experience. Those scales get everywhere.