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You are here: Home / Science / What Are Snow Fleas, Where Do Snow Fleas Come From, and What Do Snow Fleas Eat?

What Are Snow Fleas, Where Do Snow Fleas Come From, and What Do Snow Fleas Eat?

April 30, 2020 by Karen Hill

Snow Fleas are not fleas, but tiny insects of several species that thrive on glaciers and snowbanks, feeding on even smaller specks of plant debris.

A common North American species, also found in Europe, is also called a scorpion fly.

It is only about a tenth of an inch long. Wings are vestigial or missing, and it resembles a grasshopper nymph.

A tiny wingless springtail also swarms on snow around the world, even in Antarctica. A springlike mechanism on the abdomen allows it to leap dozens of times its own length.

A stonefly that emerges in late winter is also sometimes called a snow flea.

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Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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