Vertagopus persicus, Lafooraki & Hajizadeh & Antipova & Kremenitsa & Shayanmehr & Potapov & Hosseini, 2020

Lafooraki, Elham Yoosefi, Hajizadeh, Jalil, Antipova, Maria, Kremenitsa, Alexander, Shayanmehr, Masoumeh, Potapov, Mikhail & Hosseini, Reza, 2020, Vertagopus (Collembola, Isotomidae) of Iran and Caucasus, Zootaxa 4786 (4), pp. 574-582 : 575-576

Vertagopus persicus sp. nov. Potapov, Yoosefi & Shayanmehr

Figs 1–15

Type material. Holotype: female (kept in UG). Iran, Mazandaran province, Abbasabad , N 36.6533°, E 51.1119°, 26.10.2018, moss in forest, leg. E. Yoosefi Lafooraki. Paratypes: from Iran (kept in GU), one from Golestan province, Nokandeh, Vezvar , N 36.6886°, E 53.8775°, 01.01.2019, moss in forest, leg. E. Yoosefi Lafooraki ; another one (kept in UG) from Guilan province, Shaft , N 37.1166°, E 49.3802°, 05.03.2018, soil and leaf litter, leg. E. Yoosefi Lafooraki; 8 paratypes (kept in MSPU) from Azerbaijan, Astarinsky district , ca 11 km W Pensar, old deciduous forest ( Acer, Fagus, Carpinus ), N 38.599°, E 48.681°, 740 m alt., 27.03.2019, litter, leg. N. Kuznetsova, M. Potapov, A. Kremenitsa; 4 paratypes (2 kept in MSPU, 2 – in SMNG) from Russia, N Caucasus, Krasnodarsky Krai, Lagonaki Plateau , N 44.061°, E 40.021°, 21.07.2015, montane pine forest, rotten debris under bark, leg. M. Potapov, A. Kremenitsa.

Other material. Russia, N Caucasus, Krasnodarsky Krai , near Geledjik, 2.5 km N Aderbievka, E slope Markotkh Mt., litter, N 44.610°, E 38.074°, 30.04. 2016, 400 m alt., leg. O. Makarova, K. Makarov ; Krasnodarsky Krai , near Gelendzhik, Dzhankhot, 09.06.2001, under bark of poplar logs, leg. M. Potapov ; Krasnodarsky Krai , ca. 30 km S Gelendzhik, Mikhailovsky Pass, 10.06.2001, mosses on trees, leg. M. Potapov ; Lagonaki Plateau , N 44.082°, E 40.006°, 05.07.2014, montane coniferous forest ( Abies ), under looser bark and in moss from fallen tree, leg. M. Potapov, A. Kremenitsa ; Krasnodarsky Krai , near Krasnaya Polyana, Achishkho Range, N 43.701°, E 40.233°, 1219 m alt., 30.06.2014, beech forest, mosses on stones along spring, leg. M. Potapov, N. Kuznetsova ; Krasnodarsky Krai , Karachaevo-Cherkessia , Urup, valley of Urup River, N 43.770°, E 41.184°, 1216 m alt., 06.06.2017, hornbeam forest, rotten wood, leg. A. Geraskina.

Azerbaijan, Astarinsky district , ca 9 km W Pensar, forest, N 38.605°, E 48.704°, 900 m alt., 27.03.2019, rotten wood, leg. N. Kuznetsova, M. Potapov, A. Kremenitsa.

Description. Body size up to 1.3 mm. Body shape Desoria -like, wider in posterior part ( Fig. 1 ). Purplish. 8+8 ommatidia of which G and H much smaller and hardly visible ( Fig. 4 ). PAO elliptical, more than two times longer than nearest ommatidium (2.0–2.6) and shorter (0.7–0.8) than Ant.I width. Maxillary outer lobe with 4 sublobal hairs and bifurcate palp. Labral edge with four sharp ridges. Labrum as 4/554. Labial palp with all papillae and 16 guards (e 7 present), 4 proximal, 4 basomedian and 5 basolateral setae. Ventral side of head with 4–6+4–6 postlabial setae. Maxillary head with unmodified lamellae. Ant.I with 2 ventral bms and 5–7 ventral s of which 2–3 short ones in distal row ( Fig. 4 ). Ant.III with several thin s-setae, inner sens of antenal organ cylindrical and long ( Fig. 11 ). Ant.IV with bifurcate subapical pin-seta and well developed peg-like organite, apex without or with two papillae never formed as bulbs.

Macrosetae smooth, on Abd.V slightly longer than this segment length (1.0–1.2) and 2.2–2.6 as long as inner edge of claw ( Figs 3–6 ). Number of macrosens as 5,5/4,4,4,5,6 ( Figs 2–3 ). On all segments accp -sens in p -row. On Abd.V six sens arranged as two in anterior position and four in p -row ( Figs 3–5 ). Microsens 1,0/0,0,1 in number, on Abd.III ms large, associated with p -row. Th.III without ventral setae, Abd.II without ventromedial group of setae.

Claws slightly curved as common for the genus, with two lateral and one inner tooth. Empodium with inner tooth. Tibiotarsi with 9 setae in distal whorl, T 2 and T 3 setae absent, T 1 and T 4 present ( Figs 14–15 ). Clavate tenent hairs present, 2,3, 3 in number: A 1 and A 2 on tibiotarsus I, A 1, A 2 and A 7 on tibiotarsus II and III. A 1 clavate tenent hair about as long as or slightly longer than inner edge of claw (1.0–1.1). Retinaculum with 4+4 teeth and 7–9 setae. Ventral tube ( Fig. 12 ) with 4+4(5+5) laterodistal, 1+1 anterior and with 5 posterior setae (4 in distal transversal row and one at base). Furca long, 1.1–1.30 times longer than length of antennae. Manubrium with numerous setae on anterior side ( Fig. 7 ), with “single” row of setae on lateral sides. Manubrial thickening simple. Dens continuously narrowed, crenulated, with 8–10 setae on posterior side (4–5 basal and 2+2–3 di-de) ( Figs 9–10 ). Anterior side of dens with numerous setae (more than 60 setae in large individuals) ( Fig. 8 ). Mucro with four teeth, apical tooth small, two proximal teeth at different levels ( Fig. 13 ).

Discussion. V. persicus sp. nov. and V. asiaticus Potapov, Gulgenova & Babykina, 2016 are odd members of the genus due to the absence of two T -setae (T 2 and T 3) on tibiotarsi. The two species also share very small apical tooth on mucro, long dens, the absence of ventral setae on Th.III, and short clavate tenent hairs.

V. persicus sp. nov. sharply differs from V. asiaticus in more s-setae on body tergites (5,5/4,4,4,5,6 vs. 4,4/3,3,3,5,6). Two last abdominal segments of both species have 5 and 6 s-setae, respectively, as common for the genus (4 was wrongly given for Abd.V in V. asiaticus in first description). In addition, the new species has 1+1 (vs. absent in V. asiaticus) anterior setae on ventral tube and e7 guard at labial papilla E present (vs. absent) and more clavate tenent hairs on tibiotarsi. Presence of e7 is unusual for the genus ( Fjellberg 1999, 2007; Potapov 2001). After sensillar pattern V. persicus sp. nov. formally belongs to ‘arboreus’ group. V. arboreus and V. persicus sp. nov. share 1+1 setae on anterior face of ventral tube and absence of ventral setae on Th.III but can be readily discriminated by T-setae on tibiotarsi (present in V. arboreus). Christiansen (1958) recorded V. arboreus in Lebanon, his short comments indicate possible V. persicus sp. nov.

Etymology. The species was named after First Persian Empire which included Caucasus in its greatest territorial extent.

Distribution and ecology. V. persicus sp. nov. is distributed in Caucasus ( Russia and Azerbaijan) and northwestern areas of Iran. So far, the new species and V. asiaticus are allopatric since the latter is distributed in more northern and eastern areas of Palearctic (Middle Ural, Siberia and Far East in Russia, NE China, and Japan (Hokkaido: Shiretoko, new record, unpubl.)). Both species occur under loose bark of dead trees and in rotten wood.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Vertagopus persicus sp. nov.: 1, Appearance, macrosetae are shown; 2, 3, Sensillar chaetotaxy of thorax (2) and abdomen (3); 4, Anterior part of the head, lateral view (s-setae of Ant.I marked); 5,6, Setae s of Abd.III (5) and Abd.V (6), s—s-seta, ms—micro s-seta.

FIGURES 7–15. Vertagopus persicus sp. nov.: 7, Anterior side of manubrium; 8, Proximal half of dens; 9, 10, Posterior side of dens, variation; 11, Setae s of Ant.III, lateral view; 12, Ventral tube, lateral view; 13, Distal part of furca; 14, 15 Distal part of tibiotarsi III (14) and II (15).