Endonura zelkovae, Smolis & Skarżyński & Gwiazdowicz, 2023

Smolis, Adrian, Skarżyński, Dariusz & Gwiazdowicz, Dariusz J., 2023, New species of Neanuridae (Collembola) living on the endemic tree Zelkova abelicea in Crete, Zootaxa 5278 (2), pp. 333-350 : 342-343

Endonura zelkovae sp. nov.

Figs 30–36 , Tab. 2

Type material. Holotype: female, bark of Zelkova abelicea trees, slope of Mt. Kedros near Gerakari village (35.194829 N, 24.606713 E), 1255 m a. s. l., Crete, Greece, 11.X.2018, leg. D.J. Gwiazdowicz.

Description. General. Habitus typical of genus. Dorsal tubercles present and well developed, except groups Di on Th. I. Body length of holotype (without antennae): 1 mm. Colour of the body white. 2 + 2 large black eyes, in a typical arrangement for the genus ( Fig. 30 ).

Chaetal morphology. Dorsal ordinary chaetae of five types: long macrochaetae (Ml), short macrochaetae (Mc), very short macrochaetae (Mcc), mesochaetae and microchaetae. Long macrochaetae relatively thick, slightly arc-like or straight, narrowly sheathed, feebly serrated, apically rounded or pointed ( Figs 30, 36 ). Macrochaetae Mc and Mcc morphologically similar to long macrochaetae, but shorter. Mesochaetae similar to ventral chaetae, thin, smooth and pointed. Microchaetae similar to mesochaetae, but apparently short. S–chaetae of tergites thin, smooth and short, notably shorter than nearby macrochaetae ( Fig. 30 ).

Antennae. Typical of the genus. Dorsal chaetotaxy of Ant. III–IV as Tab. 2b . S-chaetae of Ant. IV of medium length and relatively thin, sensillum sgd short and straight. Apical vesicle trilobate. Ventral chaetotaxy of Ant. III and Ant. IV as Tab. 2b .

Mouthparts. Buccal cone relatively long and narrow, labral sclerifications nonogival ( Figs 30–32 ). Labrum chaetotaxy: 2/2, 4. Labium as in Fig. 31 . Maxilla styliform ( Fig. 34 ), mandible thin and tridentate ( Fig. 33 ).

Dorsal chaetotaxy and tubercles. Central area of head with complete chaetotaxy ( Fig. 30 , Tab. 2a ). Tubercles Cl and Af separate. Tubercles Dl and (L+So) on head with 6 and 8 chaetae respectively. Tubercles Di on Th. I not differentiated ( Fig. 30 ). Thorax and abdomen without free chaetae. Tubercles De on Th. II and III with 3+s and 4+s chaetae respectively. Tubercle L on Abd. IV with 6 chaetae, one chaeta free. Abd. IV and V with 8 and 3 tubercles respectively. Cryptopygy absent, Abd. VI visible from above.

Ventral chaetotaxy. On head, groups Vea, Vem and Vep with 3, 4, 4 chaetae respectively. Group Vi on head with 6 chaetae (fig. 31). On Abd. IV, furca rudimentary with 6 mesochaetae and without microchaetae ( Fig. 35 ). On Abd. V, chaetae Vl and L’ present.

Legs. Chaetotaxy of legs as in Tab. 2C . Claw without internal tooth. On tibiotarsi, chaeta M present and chaetae B4 and B5 short and pointed.

Etymology. Named after the endemic tree Zelkova abelicea where new species was found.

Remarks. Morphologically, Endonura zelkovae sp. nov. strongly recalls E. levantica Smolis, Deharveng & Kaprus’, 2011, species described recently form Israel ( Smolis et al. 2011). Nevertheless, the new species can be distinguished by the number of chaetae De on Th. II and III (in E. zelkovae sp. nov. 3+s and 4+s respectively, in E. levantica 2+s and 3+s respectively), presence/absence of prelabral chaetae (in E. zelkovae sp. nov. two chaetae present, in E. levantica chaetae absent) and presence/absence of microchaetae on furca (in E. zelkovae sp. nov. absent, in E. levantica present). The new species is also similar to E. deharvengi Cassagnau et Péja, 1979 , a form shortly described from Greece ( Cassagnau & Péja 1979) and recently redescribed ( Smolis 2016). They differ in body size (in E. zelkovae sp. nov. 1 mm, in E. deharvengi 2.10–2.50 mm), number of chaetae Dl on head (in E. zelkovae sp. nov. 6 chaetae, in E. deharvengi 5 chaetae, chaeta Dl3 absent), number of chaetae De on Th. II and III (in E. zelkovae sp. nov. 3+s and 4+s, in E. deharvengi 2+s and 3+s) and location of chaetae Di3 on Th. II and III (in E. zelkovae sp. nov. located within tubercle Di, in E. deharvengi free).

Figures

FIGURES 30–36. Endonura zelkovae sp. nov.: 30, dorsal chaetotaxy of head, Th. and Abd. I; 31, chaetotaxy of labium and group Vi; 32, chaetotaxy of labrum; 33, mandible; 34, maxilla; 35, chaetotaxy of furca rudimentary; 36, dorsal chaetotaxy of Abd. V–VI.