Seira metafemurata, 2018

Cipola, Nikolas Gioia, Morais, José Wellington De & Bellini, Bruno Cavalcante, 2018, Three new species of Seira Lubbock (Collembola, Entomobryidae, Seirinae) from Madagascar with Lepidocyrtus - like habitus, Zootaxa 4524 (2), pp. 151-173 : 165-170

Seira metafemurata sp. nov. Cipola & Bellini

Figs 12–17, Table 1

Diagnosis. Body with dark blue pigments on femur III distally ( Fig. 12); clypeal chaetae l1–2 apically acuminate ( Fig. 13B); outer labral papillae subequal to inner; labial papilla E with lateral process finger-shaped; dorsal head with M1 and S3 mac, A5 as mic ( Fig. 13C); chaetae G2–3 postlabial thin and smaller than G1 and G4 (as in Fig. 8C); Th III–Abd II with 5–6, 1, 0 and 3 central mac, respectively; Abd IV with 7 central mac and 15 lateral mac, plus one group of 14 mes ( Figs 14, 15B); unguiculus truncate; collophore anteriorly with 5 proximal spine-like chaetae, posteriorly with 4 spines plus 1 smooth chaeta; manubrium ventrally with 2/4 subapical chaetae; manubrial plate with 4 blunt chaetae ( Figs 16 E–H).

Type material. Holotype female on slide (54128/ CAS): Madagascar, Toamasina, Réserve Nationale Intégrale Betampona, 17°54'58"S, 049°12'07"E ( Fig. 17), Rainforest , 550 m, 24.iv–04.v.2008, Malaise trap, BL Fisher coll. 4 paratypes on slides (54128/ CAS): 1 male and 3 females, same data as holotype. 6 paratypes in alcohol (54153, 56/ CAS), same data as holotype, except 03–10.viii.2008, 28.ix–05.x.2008. 6 paratypes in alcohol (062/ INPA), same data as holotype, except 24–31.viii.2008.

Additional material: 4 females in slides (54107/ CAS): Madagascar, Toamasina, Moramanga, Mantadia National Park, Corridor Forestier Analamay-Mantadia , 18°45'39"S, 048°22'17"E ( Fig. 17), Rainforest , 1044 m, 23- 28.xi.2012, Malaise trap, BL Fisher coll. 1 specimen in alcohol (54107/ CAS): idem, except 18°45'23"S, 048°25'19"E, 1036 m, 02-09.xii.2012 .

Description. Total length (head+trunk) of specimens 2.10–2.43 mm (n=4), holotype 2.42 mm. Specimens pale white with dark blue pigments on anterior head and femur III distally; vestigial pigmentation on Ant I–IV distally; eyepatches black ( Fig. 12). Scales present from Ant I to basal halfs of Ant III, all head, thorax and abdomen, legs (except empodia), anterior collophore, both side of the manubrium and dentes ventrally.

Head. Ratio antennae:trunk=1: 2.73–4.10 (n =3), holotype 1: 2.73; antennal segments ratio as I: II: III: IV = 1: 1.22–1.46: 1.58–1.66: 1.80–2.27, holotype 1: 1.42: 1.58: 1.80. Ant IV not annulated, with apical bulb apically bilobed. Ant III distally with 2 apical sensory rods alongated, 3 guard sens, some blunt sens of different sizes and ciliate chaetae ( Fig. 13A). Clypeal formula with 4 (l1–2), 2 (f), 3 (pf0–1) ciliate chaetae, l1–2 larger and apically acuminate, frontal chaetae gently smaller ( Fig. 13B). Four labral papillae apically pointed and subequal. Labial papilla E with lateral process (l.p.) finger-shaped and exceeding the base of the papilla (as Fig. 8A). Maxillary palp with smooth apical appendage (a.a.) and basal chaeta (b.c.) weakly ciliated, thicker and 1.20 larger than the apical. Eyes A and B larger, G and H smaller, with 5 interocular chaetae (q, s, p, r, t); head dorsal chaetotaxy ( Fig. 13C) with 10 ‘An’ (An1a –3, An2a mic present), 3 ‘A’ (A4 mic present), 2 ‘M’ (M1, M4), 1 ‘S’ mac (S3), and 1 ‘Pa’ (Pa5) mac. Ventral chaetotaxy with about 14 ciliate chaetae, postlabial formula 4, 2 (H2 absent), 4 chaetae, G2–3 thin and smaller; basal chaeta (b.c.) largest (as Fig. 8C).

Thorax chaetotaxy ( Figs 14 A–B). Th II a, m and p series with 3–4 (a 5i 2–5p), 4 (m1, m2) and 0 mac, respectively; apex distally with numerous mic and scales interspersed. Th III a, m and p series with 0, 1 (m6) and 1 (p2) mac, respectively; p2ea mic absent. Ratio Th II:III =2.32–1.67: 1 (n=4), holotype 1.74: 1.

Abdomen chaetotaxy ( Figs 14 C–D, 15A–B). Abd I without mac, a, m and p series with 5 (a1–3, a5–6), 5 (m2–6) and 2 (p5–6) mic, respectively, m 4i absent. Abd II a, m and p series with 1 (a2), 3 (m3–3e, m5) and 0 mac, respectively, m3ep mic present, a2p absent. Abd III a, m and p series with 1 (a7), 3 (m3, am6, pm6) and 3 (p6, p7– 7i) mac, respectively, a2 as accessory chaeta, p3 absent. Abd IV with 7 central mac of A –T series (A3–5, B4– 6, C1) and 15 lateral mac of E –Fe series (E2–4p, Ee10, F1–3, Fe1–5), plus one group of 14 mes; 3 sens (ps type I, others type II) and 8 posterior mes present. Abd V a, m and p series with 1 (a5), 4 (m2–3, m5–5e) and 5 (p1, p3– 6) mac, respectively. Ratio Abd III:IV=1: 3.35–4.75 (n =4), holotype 1: 4.75.

Legs. Subcoxa I with 5 chaetae and 2 psp; subcoxa II with an anterior row of 12 chaetae, posterior row of 5 chaetae and 3 psp; subcoxa III with one row of 11 chaetae and 2 posterior psp ( Figs 16 A–C). Trochanteral organ with about 31 spine-like chaetae ( Fig. 16D). Tibiotarsus III normal, not subdivided. Unguis with basal and median teeth with the same length, apical tooth minute and sometimes absent. Unguiculus with ai lamellae truncate, others acuminate, all lamellae smooth (ai, ae, pi, pe); ratio unguis: unguiculus= 1: 0.62. Tibiotarsus III distally with one inner smooth chaeta 1.25 larger than unguiculus; tenent hair capitate, finely ciliate, and 1.28 larger than unguis outer edge ( Fig. 16E).

Collophore ( Fig. 16F). Anterior side with 11 chaetae, basally 5 spine-like chaetae, 1 thin mic ciliate, 3 long ciliate chaetae apically acuminate and 2 distal mac; posterior side distally with 6 chaetae per side, 4 reduced spine, 1 ciliate chaetae and 1 smooth chaetae; lateral flap with 5 smooth and 15 ciliate chaetae.

Furcula ( Figs 16 G–H). Manubrium ventrally with formula 1, 2, 2, 2/4 (subapical), 16–18 (apical) ciliate chaetae and approximately 15 elongated apical scales per side; manubrial plate with 4 blunt ciliate chaetae apically bullet-like, 4–5 ciliate chaetae of different sizes and 3 psp. Dorsal dens lacking blunt chaetae.

Etymology. Refers to restricted pigmentson femur III of the new species ( Fig. 12).

Remarks. The three new species described here are similar in habitus to Lepidocyrtus species, including: short antennae, Th. II with anterior hood, truncate unguiculus, and reduction of dorsal macrochaetotaxy, as head without posterior mac (Pa, Pm and Pp series), Th II–III respectively with up 11 and 2 central mac, Abd I devoid of mac, and Abd II with 3 central mac. In the other hand, these species differ from each other by very distinct color patterns ( Figs 2, 7, 12), clypeal chaetae l1–2 apically acuminate (only l 1 in S. semicaerulea sp. nov.), lateral process of papilla E finger-shaped (pointed in S. lepidochaetosa sp. nov.), chaetae G2–3 postlabial thin and smaller than G1 and G4 (all similar in S. lepidochaetosa sp. nov.), and manubrial plate with blunt chaetae only in S. metafemurata sp. nov. ( Fig. 16H).

Among the new described species, the head chaetotaxy differ by mac A5 and M1 present and S3 absent in S. lepidochaetosa sp. nov., while in S. semicaerulea sp. nov. and S. metafemurata sp. nov. is opposite, except by M1 mac in this last species ( Figs 3E, 8B, 13C). In addition, S. semicaerulea sp. nov. has 2 posterior mac of Pe series (absent in S. lepidochaetosa sp. nov. and S. metafemurata sp. nov.). In Th II chaetotaxy they differ by presence of 5–6 central mac in S. metafemurata sp. nov. (11 in S. lepidochaetosa sp. nov. and S. semicaerulea sp. nov.), while in Th III there are 0, 1 and 2 central mac respectively in S. lepidochaetosa sp. nov., S. metafemurata sp. nov. and S. semicaerulea sp. nov. ( Figs 4 A–B, 9A–B, 14A–B). Finally, the Abd IV chaetotaxy in S. metafemurata sp. nov. differs by 7 central mac (B3 absent), and laterally with one group of about 14 mes beetewn E –Fe series ( Fig. 15B), while in S. lepidochaetosa sp. nov. and S. semicaerulea sp. nov. there are 8 central mac (B3 present) and laterally both lack this mes group ( Figs 5B, 10B). The differences of species are presented in Table 1.