Awkward Clusterfly vs Collembola

Pollenia rudis compared with Folsomides angularis

Key Differences

• Awkward Clusterfly is Least Concern while Collembola is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Awkward Clusterfly	Collembola
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Collembola (springtail)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Entomobryomorpha (Entomobryomorpha)
Family	Polleniidae	Isotomidae
Genus	Pollenia	Folsomides
Species	Pollenia rudis	Folsomides angularis

Evolutionary Relationship

Awkward Clusterfly and Collembola share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Arthropoda. (Arthropods)

Conservation Status

Awkward Clusterfly

LC — Least Concern

Collembola

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Awkward Clusterfly	Collembola
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Awkward Clusterfly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Collembola

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Awkward Clusterfly

The Awkward Clusterfly (Pollenia rudis) is a species in the genus Pollenia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Collembola

<em>Folsomides angularis</em>, commonly referred to as Collembola in reference to its broader taxonomic order, is a springtail species belonging to the genus <em>Folsomides</em>. Springtails are among the most abundant hexapods in terrestrial ecosystems, playing important roles in soil decomposition and nutrient cycling. This species has been documented in Europe, with records from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as well as North America, where it is known from the United States. It typically inhabits soil, leaf litter, and decaying organic matter, and is capable of tolerating a range of environmental conditions. Springtails of this group are detritivores, feeding on decomposing plant material, fungal hyphae, and microorganisms, though specific dietary data for <em>Folsomides angularis</em> are not detailed in current records. The species has not been formally assessed for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Its small body size and cryptic lifestyle make detailed ecological study challenging.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States