Book excerpt: This is the first part of a multivolume monograph dealing with the about 400 species of springtails (Collembola) which are known to occur in the Nordic countries, including the Arctic Islands. Volume 1 contains richly illustrated identification keys and full descriptions of 161 species of the section Poduromorpha. The geographical distribution and the preferred natural habitats of the species are summarised. New morphological concepts in species diagnostics are introduced, in particular concerning the mouthparts' morphology which greatly aids in precise identification of the many difficult species of the family Onychiuridae. The book will be indispensable to everyone working with springtail identification in northern Europe. The introduction of new diagnostic characters will be of universal interest to any Collembola taxonomist.