ABSTRACT.The cave collembolanGulgastrura reticulosawas re‐examined from a systematic point of view, using data obtained from scanning electron microscopy and investigation of temperature tolerances and moulting cycles. Absences of the third antennal organ, postantennal organ, pseudocellus, eyes and furca were confirmed, along with the prominent development, by contrast, of an “apical organ” at the apex of the antenna. The intermoulting period was shown to be 110 days on average at 9.5°C which is almost twice as long as the longest known intermoulting period for a collembolan. These exceptional characteristics are suggestive of drastic divergence from existing family groups of Collembola. It is suggested that the erection of a new family, separate from the Hypogastruridae to whichGulgastrurawas assigned by the original author, may become appropriate some time in the future when evidence other than of morphology becomes available supporting this divergence.Gulgastrurais apparently limited to cave entrances, rendering the animal enigmatic in view of the usual occurrence of troglobites deep in