Friesea quadrispinensis sp. nov.

(Figs. 10–21)

Material examined. Holotype 1 male, northwest China, Shaanxi Province, Guangtou Mountain, 2800 km, litter­rich soil in forest of Larix chinensis, 20 /7 /2003, Huan Yin.

Description. Colour: pale. Length: 560 µm. Cuticle with fine granulation.

Head (Figs 10–13): 5+5 ocelli with 3 setae among them (Fig. 10). Eye patches with scattered black pigment. Cephalic diagonal length 148 µm. Antenna shorter than cephalic diagonal, ratio of antenna to head as 0.4; length ratio of Ant. I: II: III+IV as 1: 0.7: 1.3. Ant. I with 7, ant. II with 12 ordinary setae. Ant. III organ normal, apical with 2 sensory rods and 2 long sensillae (Fig. 11). Ant. IV dorsal with 6 blunt sensillae and ventral with about 15 microsetae; apical bulb simple. Ant. III–IV stocky. Maxilla typical for the genus (Fig. 12). Labral setae 2/3, 3, 4. Labium as in Fig. 13, labial triangle with 5 setae on each side.

Body: Setae all simple, subequal in length, of moderate size even on abd. V–VI; ssetae 1.3 to 2.2 times as long as ordinary mesochaetae. Abd. VI with 4 simple anal spines which are subequal in length, as long as unguis (Fig. 15).

Dorsal chaetotaxy: as illustrated in Fig. 14–15. Area frontalis of head with median setae “d”. Th. I with 4+4 setae. Seta a2 present on Th. II and absent on Th. III; Th. II and III with 2 sensillae p3 and p6 on each side. Abd. I–IV with a2 and a sensillum p4. Abd. V without a2, with a long sensillum p2 (Fig. 15). Dorsal axial setae pairs as 1, 2, 2/2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2. Tergite chaetotaxy as follows:

Ventral chaetotaxy: Head with 2+2 setae along ventral line. Ventral tube with 4 setae on each half (Fig. 16). Furca without mucro, dens with 3 setae, manubrium with a row of 2+2 setae (Fig. 17). Tenaculum with 2+2 teeth (Fig. 18). Genital apertures for male as in Fig. 19. Anal lobes with 3 hr setae on each half (Fig. 20).

Tibiotarsi I, II and III with 16, 16 and 15 setae respectively, with 1 acuminate tenent hair, which is longer than other setae of each tibiotarsi (Fig. 21). Unguis 14µm long, without inner teeth; unguiculus absent (Fig. 21).

Remarks. This species resembles Friesea grandis Mills, HB, 1934 in 4 anal spines. However, it differs from it by mucro­free furca and tenaculum and 5+5 ocelli furca and tenaculum ( F. grandis without furca and tenaculum and with 8+8 ocelli, after Massoud, 1967). It resembles Friesea alaskella Fjellberg, 1985 in general dorsal chaetotaxy and in mucro­free furca and tenaculum. However, it differs from it by 4 anal spines and 5+5 ocelli ( F. alaskella with 6 anal spines and 2+2 ocelli, Christiansen & Bellinger, 1998).

Etymology. The name of the new species is after its 4 anal spines, which is unique in the genus.