Sernatropiella, Palacios-Vargas, 2019

Palacios-Vargas, José G., 2019, An extraordinary new genus and species of Pseudachorutinae (Collembola: Neanuridae) from Colombia, Zootaxa 4609 (2), pp. 373-387 : 374

Sernatropiella gen. nov.

Type species: Sernatropiella pinzonae gen. et sp. nov. by present designation.

Diagnosis. Pseudachorutinae of dark blue/purple background colours and white/yellowish spots on antennae and head, thorax and abdomen, specimens of big size. Antennal, body segments and manubrium with hypertrichoses. Sensorial organ of antennal segment III displaced to Ant. IV. Ant. IV with apical bulb trilobed, ventral file with many modified setae. 5 eyes per side. Postantennal organ very small and moruliform. Mouth parts very thin and elongated, maxilla with two lamellae, one with an apical hook and mandible with one subapical tooth. Mouth forming a long buccal beak. Labrum with formula 4/ 2, 4, 2, 2. Labium with tuberculate seta L displaced apically and bifid. Paired pseudocelli present on head, thorax and abdomen. Paratergal areas moderately or well-developed on thorax and abdomen, pretergal and postergal segments with setae on thorax and abdominal segments I and II. Furcula well developed with many setae on manubrium and six dental setae. Mucro straight without any lamella.

Etymology. The genus is named Sernatropiella in honour of Prof. Francisco Serna from the National University of Colombia, and -tropiella for being from the tropical region and having some similarities with genus Neotropiella. The new genus is feminine.

Discussion. Most important differences between Sernatropiella gen. nov. and Neotropiella Handschin, 1942 are that the new genus has a strong hypertrichosis on antennal segments, body and manubrium; well-developed pretergal and postergal segments with dorsal setae; presence of pseudocelli (not mentioned in the description of N. malkini by Arlé, 1981) on head, thorax and abdomen; straight triangular mucro, without lamella. Other important differences with this and other genera are shown in Table 1 .

Both species of the new genus are distributed in the Northern part of the South American Transition Zone ( Morrone 2015) in elevations close to 3.000 m above sea level.