Taxon classification Animalia Collembola Onychiuridae

Oligaphorura ursi (Fjellberg, 1984)

Onychiurus ursi Fjellberg, 1984: 71.

Oligaphorura ursi (Fjellberg): www.collembola.org

Remarks.

Contrary to Oligaphorura groenlandica, Oligaphorura ursi, another northern circumpolar species of the genus, is common in the Magadan region inhabiting different wet sites above tree-line. Recently the species was redescribed on the basis of specimens from northern China (Sun and Wu 2012a). We have some doubts about the identity of the Chinese and northern populations. Northern specimens usually have 6 long and four spiniform guard setae on the labial palp [versus 11 in Chinese specimens], ventral psx 10/000/212201+1m with frequent variations [versus 0/000/122200 in the Chinese ones] and at least one psx on each subcoxae, most usually 1-2-2 [versus completely absent]. Apart from this, it was said that the Chinese specimens had an identical number of setae on all tibiotarsi [versus 20-20-19 setae in northern populations].