Neelus Folsom, 1896

Marín, Elida P. & Palacios-Vargas, José G., 2018, Redescription of Neelus fimbriatus Bretfeld & Trinklein, 2000 (Collembola: Neelidae) from Colombia, Zootaxa 4527 (3), pp. 414-424 : 415-416

Neelus Folsom, 1896

Modified diagnosis. Six pairs of sensory fields: 1 below and 1 above antennae,1 laterally on Th II, 1 on subcoxa II, 1 on thorax III and 1 posteriorly on large abdomen (this sensory field with 2 marginal setae). With one neosminthuroid setae laterally on Abd. IV sternum. Antennal segments well divided, Ant. IV longer than III, but of the same width. Ant. IV with a big sensillum, and a small one, one forked subapical organ and 7–9 long sensilla. Sensorial organ of Ant. III with two central small sensilla and two guard sensilla, one dorsal and a bigger ventral, one ventral microsensillum spine-shaped. Ungues without external teeth, with one ventral teeth and two lateral (pseudonychia). Tenent hairs absent. Empodium without apical filament and teeth. Empodial tubercle small. Ventral tube with two apical setae, posterior face with a distinct lobe. Retinaculum with 3+3 teeth and corpus without seta. Furcula long and strong. Manubrium posteriorly with six or eight setae and anteriorly at the apex with a pair of articular convex processes. Dens with one seta. Posterior surface of dens proximal with 1-2 setae. Posterior surface of dens distal con 3 conical spines, 1 central seta and two apical spurs; anterior surface with one decurrent seta. Both edges of mucro dentate, always without seta.

Remarks. When diagnosis of the genus Neelus was given by Bonet (1947), Stach (1957) or Bretfeld (1999) there was only the type species N. murinus known. It was precisely defined adult and juveniles stage by Scheider (2017). After the contributions of Kováč & Papáč (2010) and Papáč et al. (2016), there are now 8 species known.