**Description:** Tiny, wingless "Snow Fleas" capable of leaping great distances using a specialized forked tail structure.
**Size:** Approximately 0.05 to 0.1 inches long.
**Identification:** Often seen by the thousands on the surface of melting snow on warm winter days, appearing like grains of pepper.
**Behavior:** They feed on decaying organic matter and fungal spores. Their presence in mid-winter is a sign of a healthy, active soil ecosystem.
**Habitat:** Soil and leaf litter throughout the Allegheny Plateau.