Coecobrya brevis sp. nov.

Figs 1–3

Type material. Holotype: female on slide, China: Guangdong: Longmen: Qiankunshan Natural Reserve, alt. 750m, 24.viii.2010, collected by Z.-H. Pan and Y.-T. Ma (sample number S4153). Paratypes: 4 females on slide and 2 in alcohol, same data as holotype. All deposited in NJU.

Description. Body length up to 1.44 mm. Body white.

Antenna 1.53–1.63 times as long as cephalic diagonal. Antennal segments ratio as I: II: III: IV = 1: 1.95–2.00: 1.67–1.89: 3.29–3.57. Smooth spiny mic at the basis of antennae: 3 dorsal and 2 ventral on Ant. I, 1 internal, 1 external and 1 ventral on Ant. II. Ant. II internal edge with three long smooth straight chaetae and distally with 1 dorsal rod-like chaeta. Two internal sensilla of Ant. III organ slightly expanded (Fig. 1 A). Ant. IV with a subapical organite (Fig. 1 B).

Eyes absent. Prelabral and labral chaetae 4/ 5, 5, 4, all smooth; five chaetae of the first row subequal (Fig. 1 C). Papilla E of labial palp with 4 guard chaetae; lateral process of labial palp thick as normal chaetae, with tip reaching slightly beyond apex of labial papilla (Fig. 1 D). Subapical chaeta of maxillary outer lobe larger than apical one; 3 smooth sublobal hairs on maxillary outer lobe. Labial chaetae as MREL1L2, all smooth, R/M=0.7–0.8; chaetae X, X2 and X4 as smooth tiny mic and X2 rarely absent; chaeta X3 absent. Cephalic groove with 6–8 (usually 7) chaetae, 4(rarely 5) of them smooth (Fig. 1 E). Dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy with 3 sutural (S) and 3(2) mac in Gr. II. Clypeal chaetae smooth (Fig. 1 F).

Th. II with 1 medio-medial (m1), 2 medio-lateral (m4, m4p), 10–11 posterior mac and 3 lateral S-chaetae: 1 ms and 2 s; mac p2ea rarely present (Fig. 2 A). Th. III with 17–19 mac and 2 lateral s; a1 often as mic; p5 as mic (Fig. 2 B).

Trochanteral organ with 13–17 smooth spiny chaetae; 9–10 in arms and 4–8 between them (Fig. 1 G). Partial inner differentiated tibiotarsal chaetae “smooth” with ciliations closely appressed to axis. Unguis with 3 inner teeth; 2 paired teeth unequal, outer one large. Unguiculus outer edge with a large tooth. Tenent hair I and II pointed, and III pointed or clavate (in 3 of 5 specimens pointed), slightly longer unguiculus in length (Fig. 1 H).

Abd. IV 3.82–4.44 times as Abd. III in length along dorsal midline. Abd. I with 4(3) (m2–4, m4p) mac and 2 S-chaetae: 1 ms and 1 s; m2 often as mic. Abd. II usually with 2 (m3, m3e) central, 1 (m5) lateral mac and 2 s; mac m3ep rarely present; lateral s 0.5 times of inner one in length. Abd. III with 1 (m3) central, 3 (am6, pm6, p6) lateral mac and 2 s; lateral s 0.5 times of inner one in length (Fig. 2 C). Abd. IV with 4 central (I, M––according Zhang et al., 2011b, B5, A6), 4 lateral mac (E2–4, D3), and 11–13 s; the most postero-lateral s (ps) much shorter (Fig. 2 D). Abd. V with 3 s (Fig. 3 A). Tenaculum with 4 + 4 teeth and one large striate chaeta. Ventral tube with 7(8) ciliate anterior chaetae on each side; 8–10 posterior smooth chaetae, distal four tiny; each lateral flap with 7 smooth chaetae (Fig. 2 F). Furcula laterally with smooth straight chaetae, 2 of them on base of dens and others on manubrium. Manubrial plaque with 2 pseudopores and 2 ciliate chaetae (Fig. 3 B). Distal smooth part of dens subequal to mucro in length (Fig. 3 C).

Ecology. In soil of bamboo forest, near termitarium.

Etymology. Named after the short (latin “ brevis ”) S-chaetae on lateral Abd. II and III.

Remarks. This new species is closest to C. tibiotarsalis Yosii, 1964 in absence of eyes, claw structure, manubrial smooth chaetae present, tibiotarsal “smooth” differentiated chaetae, and 4+4 central mac on Abd. IV, but differs from the latter in 4+4 lateral mac on Abd. IV, 7+7 anterior and 8–10 posterior chaetae of ventral tube, and presence of chaeta X2 on the ventral side of head.