Coecobrya neocaledonica sp. nov.

Figs 44–59

Types. Holotype: male on slide, New Caledonia: Poya: doline d'Adio, elevation 280 m, 22.xii.1995, litter of secondary forest, Berlese extraction, Louis Deharveng & Anne Bedos leg. (sample NC95-265). Paratypes: 3 females on slides, New Caledonia: Kaala-Gomen, elevation 250 m, 18.xii.1995, dry forest litter, Berlese extraction, Louis Deharveng and Anne Bedos leg. (sample NC95-255). Holotype and 1 paratype in MNHN; 2 paratypes in NJAU.

Description. Body length up to 1.56 mm.

Ground colour pale yellow in alcohol. Antenna 1.6–1.8 times as long as cephalic diagonal. Antennal segments ratio as I:II:III:IV = 1:1.7:1.3–1.7:2.6–3.2. Ant. III organ (Fig. 44) with chaetae 2 and 3 swollen. Clypeal chaetae smooth (Fig. 45). Lateral process of labial palp thicker than normal chaetae, with tip reaching beyond apex of labial papilla (Fig. 46). Labial base as mrel1l2, all smooth; r 0.7 times as long as chaeta m; chaetae X and X4 as smooth mic; chaetae X2–3 absent (Fig. 47). Dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy with 3 sutural mac (S) and 3 mac in Gr. II (Fig. 48).

Trochanteral organ with 9–11 smooth spiny chaetae; 6–7 in arms and 3–4 between them (Fig. 49). Ungual basal paired teeth unequal, median and distal unpaired teeth present. Unguiculus lanceolate with a large tooth on outer edge. Tenent hair clavate, slightly longer than unguiculus (Fig. 50). Abd. IV 2.4–3.5 times as long as Abd. III along dorsal midline. Ventral tube anteriorly with 4 ciliate chaetae on each side, 1 of them much larger than others (Fig. 51); posteriorly with 2 apical and 2 posterior smooth chaetae (Fig. 52); each lateral flap with 4 smooth and 1 ciliate chaetae, the latter sometimes absent. Manubrial plaque with 2 pseudopores and 2 ciliate chaetae (Fig. 53). Distal smooth part of dens 1.2 times longer than mucro in length. Mucro falcate with basal spine long, its tip nearly reaching apex of tooth (Fig. 54). Genital plate papillate with 16 thickened chaetae (Fig. 55).

Th. II with 2 (m1, m2) medio-medial, 2 (m4, m4p) medio-lateral, and 16–17 posterior mac; p4–6 as mic. Th. III with 19 mac; m5, a 6i and m6e as mic (Fig. 56). Abd. I with 4 (m2–4, m4p) mac. Abd. II with 3 (m3, m3e, m3ep) central and 1 (m5) lateral mac. Abd. III with 1 (m3) central and 2 (am6, pm6) lateral mac; ms absent (Fig. 57). Abd. IV with 4 (I, M, A6, B5) central, 3 (E2–4) lateral mac, and 2 short and about 15 long sens (Fig. 58). Abd. V with 23 normal chaetae and 3 sens (Fig. 59).

Ecology. In litter of dry forest.

Etymology. Named after the New Caledonia archipelago.

Remarks. This new species is characterized by 3 cephalic sutural chaetae on dorsal side of head, absence of mac m 2i and m 4i on Th. II, m5 and a 6i on Th. III, m 2i on Abd. I, p6 on Abd. III and set of p1p+ on Abd. V, and presence of the second unpaired inner tooth on unguis. It is most similar to C. edenticulata (Handschin, 1926) in labial chaetae, claw structure, trochanteral organ, and ventral tube, but differs from it in smooth clypeal chaetae, 3 cephalic sutural chaetae, 2+2 mac on Abd. I, and 3+3 central mac on Abd. II.