Sernatropiella pinzonae, Palacios-Vargas, 2019

Palacios-Vargas, José G., 2019, An extraordinary new genus and species of Pseudachorutinae (Collembola: Neanuridae) from Colombia, Zootaxa 4609 (2), pp. 373-387 : 374-378

Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov.

( Figs 1–31 )

Type locality. COLOMBIA: Cundinamarca province: Chingaza. Type material. Holotype: Male, Idem: La Calera. Parque Natural Nacional Chingaza, Sector San José , Road to San Juanito 2.966 m alt. 4° 29’ 28” N, 73° 41’ 22” W, necrotrap, 22– 24.11.2003, I. Quintero and M. Torres col. Paratypes: Female, Idem: Mpio. Guasca. PNN Chingaza, Sector Palacio, 2.920 m alt. 4° 41’ 24” N, 73° 51’ 21. Malaise trap, 17– 19.11.2003, E. González coll.: Female, Idem: Mpio. Guasca PNN Chingaza Sector Palacio, 2.920 m alt. 4° 41’ 24” N, 73° 51’ 21. Pitfall trap, 17– 19.11.2003, E. González coll.: Male, Idem: Mpio. La Calera , PNN Chingaza Sector San José. Road to San Juanito 2.966 m alt. 4° 28’ 08” N, 73° 41’ 22, pitfall trap, 22– 24.11.2003, I. Quintero and M. Torres coll. All the material is kept at LESM .

Other material studied about 140 km from the type locality. Cundinamarca province, Zipacón. Andean high forest. One female, Local coordinates 4° 46’ 2” N, 74° 22’ 41” W; 2.600 m above sea level. High Andean forest , ex litter 8.07.2016. J. Palacios & F. Serna coll. Deposited at LESM .

Description. Length of specimens in ethanol: 5–7 mm ( Fig. 1 ), when mounted they are longer for the distorted and flattened body which almost reaches 1 cm. Very dark blue/purple pigment colour on head, thorax and abdomen ( Fig. 1 ) less dark on ventral side ( Fig. 2 ) and blue antennae and legs; with paired white/yellowish areas on head, thorax ( Fig. 3 ) and on Abd. I–III, one central spot on Abd. IV, V and VI ( Fig. 4 ); Ant. III and IV light blue ( Fig. 3 ). Strong hypertrichosis ( Figs 1–4 ). Very strong cuticular granulations made of small and conical humps on cuticle and secondary granules ( Figs 9–11 ). Paratergites best developed on thoracic segments ( Figs 1, 2 and 15). Well defined pre- and post segments with setae on Th. I–III and Abd. I–IV, except And. V and Abd. VI, the last one small and hemispherical ( Fig 4 ).

With hypertrichosis and heterochaetosis, some macrosetae and many microsetae on head, antennal segments and each body segment, as well as manubrium, but not on dens or legs. Antennal and body sensorial setae difficult to distinguish ( Figs 9 and 18 ). Pseudocelli on head and body segments, consisting of about 10-15 irregular lamellae forming an ellipse (Figs 14 and 17), with an opening in the middle ( Fig 7 ), about 2 times the diameter of one eye. One pair of pseudocelli developed on head posterior to eye patches ( Figs 5 and 28 ), one lateral pair on Th. II and III ( Fig 29 ) and on Abd. I, III and V ( Fig 30 ). Size and number of lamellae on each pseudocellus reduced on abdominal segments. Pseudocelli on thorax and abdomen small, not observed under small magnification of Scanning Electron Microscope (Fig 15).

Antennae. Ant. I with about 70 smooth setae, most of them on ventral side. Lateral and dorsal setae longer than ventral. Ant. II with about 90 setae, those of ventral side shorter than dorsal. Ant. III with about 90 ventral setae and 35 dorsal, diagonally fused with Ant. IV. Sensorial antennal organ III displaced to Ant. IV (as in some Neotropiella), with 2 long and curved sensilla pointing each other, and partially covered by cuticular fold ( Fig. 10 ). S.g. v. and S.g.d., difficult to distinguish. Ant. IV with a small trilobed subapical bulb and dorsally with six sensilla not clearly differentiated, only seta “i” can be differentiated ( Fig 9 ). Ventral file with about 100 small modified setae with bent tips. Ratio of Ant. I: II; III; IV as 1: 1; 0.6; 0.84. Ratio of total cephalic diagonal: Antenna 1: 0.8.

Labrum with 4/ 2,4, 2, 2 setae (Figs 13 and 25). Maxilla connected to fulcrum by a cardo ( Fig 26 ); styliform with two long fused lamellae, apex with one hook ( Fig 27A ); mandible very thin, with two apical teeth ( Fig 27B ). Labium with setae A, B, C, D and tuberculate setae L displaced in apical position with a short, bifid seta, labium elongated ( Fig 27C ). Seta E displaced anteriorly, F long, and G in normal position. Five large eyes, hemispherical corneolae with blue/black pigment on each side of head ( Figs 3 , 6 , and 11), on black eyepatch, posterior eye smaller than others. Ocular area with three very thin and small ocular setae ( Fig 11 ).

PAO very small (20 µm), moruliform, less than ¼ the diameter of closest eye, formed by 26-30 vesicles ( Fig 12 ).

Strong hypertrichoses on tergites and ventral abdomen.

Thorax. With paratergal areas, pre and postsegments developed on each segment (Figs 15, 28–30). Postsegments on Th. I – III with 11 + 11 setae and Abd. I–II with about 7 + 7 setae. Th. I without pseudocelli but with a pair of clear areas with almost smooth surface (Fig 16). Th. II and III with one pair of latero-posterior pseudocellus each ( Figs 17 and 30 ).

Leg Chaetotaxy from I to III: coxae (2,4,6), trochanters (6,6,6), femora (13–14, 11–12, 9–10), tibiotarsi (19, 19, 18) and seta M in normal position, acuminate tenent hairs, ventrally two setae on each verticil longer than other setae ( Figs 19 and 20 ). Ungues very wide with one big basomedial tooth on each side, and one medial tooth on inner edge ( Figs 19 and 20 ), and it is half the length of tibiotarsus; pretarsi with strong granulation, and one tiny pretarsal setae on each side ( Fig 20 ).

Abdomen. Abd. I, III and V with a pair of lateral pseudocelli each. Abdomen with strong hyperthrichosis, with

Figures

FIGURE 28. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. Cephalic chaetotaxy with details of PAO and pseudocellus, and chaetotaxy of half of Th. I and postsegment I.

FIGURE 29. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. Half of Th. II and III chaetotaxy.

FIGURES 1–2. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. Habitus in ethanol: 1, dorsal view; 2, ventral view.

FIGURES 3–4. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. Habitus in ethanol: 3, head and Th. I; 4, Abd. II–VI.

FIGURES 5–8. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. Photographs of specimens under slides: 5, head; 6 left eyes and postantennal organ; 7, right cephalic pseudocellus; 8, partial view of ventral Abd. III–VI, furcula and ventral anal valves.

FIGURES 9–12. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. SEM photographs: 9, dorsal aspect of Ant. IV, with seta “i” and undifferentiated sensilla; 10, sensorial organ of Ant. III organ; 11, eyes and PAO, 12, postantennal organ.

FIGURES 17–20. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. SEM photographs: 17, pseudocellus on Th. II; 18, exudation on Th. II; 19, apex of tibiotarsus III and unguis, ventral view; 20, apex of tibiotarsus III and ungues in lateral view.

FIGURES 21–24. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. SEM photograps: 21, Abd. II–VI in ventral view; 22, furcula, 23, genital plate of male; 24, anal valves with anal vesicles.

FIGURES 25–27. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. 25, labrum; 26, cardo and fulcrum; 27, maxilla and mandible; A, apex of maxilla; B, apex of mandible; C, labium left side.

FIGURES 30–31. Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. 30, half Abd. I–VI chaetotaxy; 31, male genital plate.