Seira coroatensis, Godeiro, Nerivânia N. & Bellini, Bruno C., 2015

Godeiro, Nerivânia N. & Bellini, Bruno C., 2015, Two new species and two detailed chaetotaxy descriptions of Seira (Collembola: Entomobryidae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 3972 (2), pp. 208-230 : 209-215

Seira coroatensis sp. nov.

Figs 1–5

Type material. Holotype female, Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Almino Afonso, Sítio Coroatá, 29.iv. 2013. Godeiro, N.N. col. Paratypes 3 males and 5 females, same data as Holotype. Type material deposited at Collembola Collection of DBEZ / UFRN.

Description. Total body length of Holotype 2,02 mm. Habitus entomobryid ( Figs 1, 2 A). Color of fixed specimens (in 100 % ethanol) pale yellow with dark pigment covering eye patches, lateral edges of mesothorax and latero-posterior regions of third, fourth and fifth abdominal segments; antennae and distal legs slightly darker than body ( Fig. 1). Colour of mounted specimens pale yellow. Yellowish rounded scales covering body and head, legs, Ant. I–III, manubrium and dentes (ventrally). Ventral tube with scales. Ant. IV weakly annulated, with a single apical bulb and bearing at least three types of setae: smooth, feathered and small blunt setae ( Fig. 2 B). Ant. III sense organ as in Fig. 2 C, with two rods and three guard sensillae. Eye patches oval with 8 + 8 lenses, the largest ‘B’ and smallest ‘G’ ( Fig. 3). Five interocular feathered setae, p as macroseta, q, r, s and t as mesosetae ( Fig. 3). Pre– labral setae multiciliated; labral setae smooth. Maxillary palp with apical and basal setae smooth, subequal in size; sublobal plate with 2 smooth appendages ( Fig. 2 E). Labial papilla as in figure 2 E; lateral appendage acuminate, seta-like and four smooth setae ( Fig. 2 F). Five smooth proximal setae of labial palp; labial triangle formula: M 1 M 2 rEL 1 L 2 / A 1-5; r smooth and reduced ( Fig. 2 D). All post labial setae ciliate. Mesothoracic hood not developed. Metatrochanteral organ with approximately 30 short spines ( Fig. 2 G). All ungues with four teeth, two subequal basal paired teeth and two apical unpaired ( Figs 2 H– 2 J). Unguiculi lanceolate with outer margin slightly serrate ( Figs 2 H– 2 J). Tenent hair capitate with weakly serrated edges. Metatibia with one small smooth distal posterior seta ( Fig. 2 J). Ventral manubrium with 7 + 7 subapical setae, spines typically absent in furcula. Mucro typically falcate ( Fig. 2 K).

Dorsal head chaetotaxy. Antennal series (An) with 9 + 9 macrosetae and 1 + 1 microseta; one super-numerary macroseta next to An 2; anterior series (A) with A 4 present; A0, A 2 and A 3 as macrosetae; A 1, A 4 and A 5 as microsetae; medio-ocellar series (M) with 5 + 5 setae; one super-numerary microseta next to M 4; M 1, M 2 and M 4 as macrosetae; M 3 and M 4 i as microsetae; sutural series (S) with 5 + 5 macrosetae ( S 1, S 2, S 3, S 5, S 6) and 1 + 1 microseta ( S 4) plus unpaired S0; interocular series with 5 + 5 setae; p as macroseta; q, r, s and t as mesosetae; postsutural series (Ps) with 3 + 3 setae; Ps 2 (presenting an untypical position) and Ps 3 as microseta, Ps 5 as macroseta; Ps 4 absent (typical of Seira , see Soto-Adames 2008); postoccipital anterior series (Pa) with 5 + 5 setae; Pa 1, Pa 2, Pa 3 and Pa 5 as macrosetae, Pa 6 as post ocular trichobothrium, Pa 4 absent; postoccipital medium series (Pm) with 2 + 2 macrosetae ( Pm 1 and Pm 3), Pm 2 absent (typical of Seira , see Soto-Adames 2008); postoccipital posterior series (Pp) with 5 + 5 setae; Pp 1, Pp 2, Pp 3 and Pp 5 as macrosetae; Pp 4 as microseta ( Fig. 3).

Dorsal Th. II chaetotaxy. Anterior (a) series (without anterior setal collar) with 7 + 7 setae; a 2 p as microseta; a 5 i 2, a 5 i 2 p, a 5 ip, a 5 i, a 5, a 5 p as macrosetae; medial (m) series with 12 + 12 setae; m 1 i 3, m 1 i 4?, m 4 ip and m 5 as microsetae; m 1 i 2 and m 4 i as macrosetae or microsetae; m 1 i, m 2 i, m 1, m 2, m 4 p and m 4 as macrosetae; m 5 a and m 5 p absent; posterior (p) series with 17 + 17 setae; p 1 i 2 p absent; p 1 i 2, p 1 i, p 1, p 1 ip, p 1 p, p 2 a, p 2, p 2 p, p 2 e, p 2 ep, p 3 p, p 2 ea, p 3 and p 5 as macrosetae; p 4 and p 6 as microsetae; p 6 e present as microseta; three external macrosetae near p 6 (common in Seira , see Soto-Adames 2008) ( Fig. 4 A).

Dorsal Th. III chaetotaxy. ‘a’ series with 6 + 6 setae; a 1 a and a 3 absent (atypical); a 6 and a 7 as microsetae; a 1, a 2, a 4 and a 5 as macrosetae; ‘m’ series with 6 + 6 setae; m 6 p absent; m 1 i, m 4 and m 6 as macrosetae; m 1, m 5 and m 7 as microsetae; ‘p’ series with 9 + 9 or 8 + 8 setae; p 1 i absent; p 2 ea, p 3, p 5 and p 6 as microsetae; p 2 ea absent or present; p 1, p 2, p 2 a, p 2 e and p 4 as macrosetae; setula present near m 7 ( Fig. 4 B).

Dorsal Abd. I chaetotaxy. ‘a’ series with 6 + 6 setae; a 1 a and a 4 absent; a 1, a 1 e, a 2, a 3 and a 6 as microsetae; a 5 as macroseta; setula present near a 6; ‘m’ series with 6 + 6 setae; m 5 and m 6 as microsetae; m 2, m 3, m 4 and m 4 i as macrosetae; ‘p’ series with 2 + 2 microsetae ( p 5 and p 6) ( Fig. 4 C).

Dorsal Abd. II chaetotaxy. ‘a’ series with 6 + 6 setae; a 3 absent; a 2 p as fan shaped scale; as, a 6 and a 7 as microsetae; a 2 as macroseta; a 5 as trichobothrium with 5 surrounding fan shaped scales; ‘m’ series with 9 + 9 setae; m 3 ei, m 3 ea, m 6 and m 7 as microsetae; m 3, m 3 ep, m 3 e and m 5 as macrosetae; m 2 as trichobothrium with 4–5 surrounding fan shaped scales; ‘p’ series with 3 + 3 setae; p 5 and p 7 as microsetae; p 6 as mesoseta; el and se present as setulae ( Fig. 4 D)

Dorsal Abd. III chaetotaxy. ‘a’ series with 8 + 8 setae; as, a 3 and a 7 as microsetae; am 6 as macroseta; a 1, a 2 and a 6 as fan shaped scales; a 5 as trichobothrium with 6 surrounding fan shaped scales; ‘m’ series with 6 + 6 setae; m 2 as trichobothrium with 5 surrounding fan shaped scales; m 5 as trichobothrium with 3 surrounding fan shaped scales; m 4 and m 3 ea as fan shaped scales; m 7 as microseta; m 3 as macroseta; ‘p’ series with 6 + 6 setae; p 3, p 5 and p 7 as microsetae; p 7 i as mesoseta; pm 6 and p 6 as macrosetae; em and emp as fan shaped scales; c 3 as microsetae; se and el as setulae; d 2 setula present, near p 5 ( Fig. 5 A).

Dorsal Abd. IV chaetotaxy. ‘A’ series with 7 + 7 setae; A 1, A 2, A 6, Ae 7 and one super-numerary seta between A 4 and A 5 as microsetae; A 3, A 4 and A 5 as macrosetae; A 2 a and A 3 a absent; ‘B’ series with 7 + 7 setae; B 2, B 4 a and Be 3 as microsetae; B 3, B 4, B 5 and B 6 as macrosetae; B 1 and Be 2 absent; ‘C’ series with 6 + 6 setae; C 1 and C 4 as macrosetae; C 1 p as fan shaped scale; C 2, C 3 and C 4 a as microsetae; ‘T’ series with 7 + 7 setae; T 1, T 3, T 5 and T 6 as microsetae; T 7 as mesosetae; T 2 and T 4 as trichobothria with 6 and 3 surrounding fan shaped scales (respectively); ps present as setula next to T 7; ‘D’ series with 5 + 5 setae; D 1 as fan shaped scale; D 2 a and D 3 p as microsetae; D 2 as macroseta; D 3 as trichobothria without fan shaped scales associated; ‘E’ series with 7 + 7 setae; E 3 absent; E 2 a, E 2, E 2 p, E 4 and E 4 p as macrosetae; E 1 and E 4 p 2 as microsetae; Ee 7 and Ee 10 absent; ‘F’ series with 5 + 5 macrosetae, F 3 p absent; ‘Fe’ series with 6 + 6 macrosetae ( Fe 2, Fe 2 p, Fe 3, Fe 4, Fe 5 and Fe 6); external microsetae after ‘Fe’ series not seen; Abd. IV with 8 + 8 posterior setae ( Fig. 5 B).

Distribution of dorsal macrosetae of whole body as in Figure 5 C.

Etymology. The new species was named after its type locality, Coroata Farm.

Remarks. S. coroatensis sp. nov. presents many chaetotaxic similarities with other described species of northeastern Brazil, particularly those with 5 + 5 macrosetae on Abd. I. The overall chaetotaxy of the new species is more similar to S. ritae Bellini & Zeppelini, 2011 ( Bellini & Zeppelini 2011 a) and S. mendoncae Bellini & Zeppelini, 2008 ( lapsus calami: originally described as S. mendoncea ) ( Bellini & Zeppelini 2008 a), and the three species also share similarities on distribution of dorsal macrosetae over part of head, Abd. II, III and internal region of Abd. IV. In the other hand, the new species is different from the other two taxa in: the presence of an extra macroseta below cephalic row ‘An’, unlike the other two species; on cephalic row ‘M’, S. coroatensis sp. nov. presents M 1, M 2 and M 4 as macrosetae whereas S. ritae presents M 1, M 2, M 3 and M 4 as macrosetae, and S. mendoncae only M 1 and M 4; on Th. II, the new species presents 4 + 4 or 5 + 5 macrosetae on m 1–2 complex, while S. ritae presents 6 + 6 and S. mendoncae 4 + 4; on Th. III, m 6 is a macroseta only in S. coroatensis sp. nov.; on external region of Adb. IV, Fe 2 p macroseta is only present in the new described species; and finally, the metatrochanteral organ in S. coroatensis sp. nov. is more complex, bearing approximately 30 spines while in the other two species this number is never higher than 25, particularly in S. ritae , which presents approximately 17 spines.

S. coroatensis sp. nov. was collected in the Caatinga biome, a semi-arid ecosystem exclusively seen in Brazil; Good’s biogeographic zone 27 ( Good 1974). The specimens were collected during the beginning of the rainy season. The climate of the area is “Aw” following Koeppen’s system, with a very clear and long dry season ( Kottek et al. 2006).