Lepidocyrtus sotoi Bellini & Godeiro

Bellini, Bruno C., Cipola, Nikolas G. & Godeiro, Nerivânia N., 2015, New species of Lepidocyrtus Bourlet and Entomobrya Rondani (Collembola: Entomobryoidea: Entomobryidae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 4027 (2), pp. 227-242 : 228-231

Lepidocyrtus sotoi Bellini & Godeiro sp. nov.

Figs 1–21, Table 1

Type material. Holotype female on slide, Brazil, Paraíba State, João Pessoa municipality, Penha beach (7°09'23"S; 34°47'45"W), Atlantic Forest, 28.iii.2008. Bellini, B.C. & A.P. Pais coll. Paratypes 4 males and 4 females on slides, plus one adult on 70% ethanol, same data as Holotype. Type material deposited at Collembola Collection of DBEZ / UFRN.

Description. Total length (head + trunk) of holotype 1.58 mm. Habitus typical entomobryoid ( Fig. 1). Specimens in alcohol pale yellow with dark blue pigment covering eyepatches and antennae, light blue pigment covering legs, manubrium and distal lateral borders of Abd. IV–VI ( Fig. 1). Brownish finely striate scales, apically rounded or slightly truncate, covering: both faces of head, dorsal thorax and abdomen, ventral face of manubrium and dentes. Antennae, legs and ventral tube without scales.

Head. Antennae shorter than body ( Fig. 1). Ant. IV not annulated, without apical bulb, with ciliate normal chaetae, two types of smooth chaetae (small and normal) and some blunt s-chaetae ( Fig. 2 ). Ant. III sense organ as in Fig. 3 , with 2 rods and 3 surrounding guard sensilla; different types of apical chaetae as in Fig. 3 . Eyes 8+8, lenses A to F well developed, lenses G and H smaller; eyepatch valley with 5 chaetae (s, q, t, r as ciliate mesochaetae; p as macrochaeta), interocular scales absent ( Fig. 4 ). Dorsal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 14 , with 11 preantennal macrochaetae (An series); 6 anterior chaetae (A0, A2, A3 and A5 as macrochaetae; A1 and A4 as microchaetae) plus additional surrounding microchaetae; 3 medio-ocellar chaetae (M2 and M3 as microchaetae; M4 as macrochaeta) plus 4 microchaetae near M4; 4 sutural microchaetae (S2, S3, S4 and S6; S5 absent); 3 postsutural microchaetae (Ps2, Ps3 and Ps5); 6 post-occipital anterior chaetae (Pa1–5 as microchaetae; Pa6 as postocular bothriotrichum); 2 post-occipital medial microchaetae (Pm1 and Pm3); and 3 post-occipital posterior microchaetae (Pp1–3). Prelabral chaetae weakly ciliate (4), labral chaetae smooth (5-5-4) ( Fig. 5 ). Labral papillae as in Fig. 6 , without spine-like lateral structures. Maxillary palp with apical and basal appendages smooth, subequal in size; sublobal plate with 3 smooth appendages ( Fig. 7 ). Labial palp papilla E with 4 appendages, lateral process apex rounded ( Fig. 8 ). Five proximal chaetae of labial palp smooth. Labial triangle chaetae: M1, M2, E, L1 and L2 ciliate, M1 smaller than M2; r reduced; A1–5 smooth ( Fig. 9 ). All post labial chaetae ciliate.

Thorax. Mesothorax slightly projected forward, hood-shaped. Thorax without macrochaetae (excluding anterior chaetal collar). Chaetotaxy of Th. II as in Fig. 15 , with 2 anterior microchaetae (a2p? and a5) plus 2 other microchaetae of uncertain homology (?); 3 medial microchaetae (m4, m5 and m5a) plus 2 other microchaetae of uncertain homology (?) near the pseudopore; and 7 posterior microchaetae (p1–6 + p6e). Sensillum s and accessory microsensillum ms present. Chaetotaxy of Th. III as in Fig. 16 , with 6 anterior microchaetae (a1, a2?, a3, a4, a6 and a7); 7 medial microchaetae (m2, m4–m6, m6p, m6e and m7); and 6 posterior microchaetae (p1–6) plus 2 other microchaetae of uncertain homology (?). Sensillum s present.

Abdomen. Abd. IV more than three times the length (in the midline) of Abd. III ( Fig. 1). Chaetotaxy of Abd. I as in Fig. 17 , with 5 or 6 anterior microchaetae (a1, a2, a3, a5 and a6 always present; a1a present or absent); 5 medial microchaetae (m2–6); and 2 posterior microchaetae (p5 and p6). Accessory microsensillum ms present near a6. Chaetotaxy of Abd. II as in Fig. 18 , with 4 anterior chaetae (a2, a3 and a6 as microchaetae; a5 as bothriotrichum); 7 medial chaetae (m3e, m4, m6 and m7 as microchaetae; m3 and m5 as macrochaetae; m2 as bothriotrichum); and 4 posterior microchaetae (p4–7). Accessory sensillum as near a2; el present as mesochaeta. Chaetotaxy of Abd. III as in Fig. 19 , with 6 anterior chaetae (a2 as fan-shaped scale; a3, a6, am6 and a7 as microchaetae; a5 as bothriotrichum); 6 medial chaetae (m2 and m5 as bothriotricha; m3, m4, m7 and m7a as microchaetae) plus 1 microchaeta of uncertain homology (?); and 5 posterior chaetae (p4 and p5 as microchaetae; pm6 and p6 as macrochaetae; p7 as mesochaeta). Microchaetae em and emp present, near a5; accessory sensillum as near m3; microsensillum d2 near p5. Chaetotaxy of Abd. IV as in Fig. 20 , with 4 microchaetae in A series (A3– 6); 6 chaetae in B series (B1–2 as microchaetae; B3–6 as macrochaetae); Be3 microchaeta present; 5 microchaetae in C series (C1, C1p, C2, C3 and C4), 7 chaetae in T series (T1, T3, T5 and T7 as microchaetae; T6 as mesochaeta; T2 and T4 as bothriotricha); 5 chaetae in D series (D1 as a fan-shaped scale; D1p and D3 as microchaetae; D2 as macrochaeta; D3p as mesochaeta); 6 chaetae in E series (E1, E2, E3, E4p and E4p2 as macrochaetae; E4 as microchaeta); 3 chaetae in F series (F1 as mesochaeta; F2 as microchaeta; F3 as macrochaeta); and 4 chaetae in Fe series (Fe1 and Fe2 as microchaetae; Fe3 and Fe5 as mesochaetae). Sensillum near T7; ps sensillum near D3p; r sensillum near Fe2; 5 unnamed microchaetae plus 2 sensilla between A and C series; 7 posterior chaetae. Chaetotaxy of Abd. V as in Fig. 21 , with 5 anterior chaetae (a1, a3, a 5i and a6 as macrochaetae; a5 as microchaeta); 9 medial chaetae (m2, m3, m4, m4a, m5 and m6 as macrochaetae; m3a, m5a? and m5e as microchaetae); and 7 posterior chaetae (p3a, p3, p4, p 5i, p5 and p6 as macrochaetae; pp6 as mesochaeta). Five unnamed microchaetae plus 3 sensilla (s).

Legs, Ventral Tube and Furcula. Trochanteral organ well developed, with approximately 27 small spine-like chaetae ( Fig. 10 ). Hind empodial complex as in Fig. 11 , tenent-hair smooth and spatulate, similar in length to unguis; unguis with 4 inner teeth, basal pair similar in size to the unpaired teeth; external teeth inserted apically in the outer edge of unguis; unguiculus lanceolate, with outer margin finely serrated. All unguiculi (legs 1–3) with similar morphology. Smooth posterior-distal chaeta on hind tibiotarsus present. Ventral tube without scales; chaetotaxy unclear. Manubrium with 3+3 ventral subapical chaetae; dens crenulate, without spines; dental appendix present and apically rounded ( Fig. 12 ); mucro bidentate, with dental spine carrying a single spinelete ( Fig. 13 ).

Etymology. The new species was named after our friend Felipe N. Soto-Adames due to his significant contributions to the knowledge of the Entomobryoidea.

Habitat. Lepidocyrtus sotoi sp. nov. specimens were collected from Restinga woods of Praia da Penha, João Pessoa municipality, within the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil, during the start of raining season. The specimens were abundantly collected from leaf litter and sandy soil of a fragment of forest approximately 100 meters far from urban surroundings, near to garbage dumps. This fact suggests the species can be resistant to some anthropic soil contamination.

Remarks. Lepidocyrtus sotoi sp. nov. differs from other Neotropical species of Lepidocyrtus by the combination of: absence of head macrochaetae outside An and A series, only two macrochaetae (pm6 and p6) near m5 bothriotrichum on Abd. III, presence of four macrochaetae (B3–6) on inner Abd. IV, and six macrochaetae (E1–3, E4p, E4p2 and F3p) on outer Abd. IV, 5 interocular chaetae and absence of interocular scales, absence of scales on antennae and legs, and trochanteral organ with less than 30 spine-like chaetae ( Mari Mutt 1983, 1986, 1988). Among the Neotropical species, L. nigrosetosus Folsom, 1927 , L. finus Christiansen & Bellinger, 1980 and L. biphasis Mari Mutt, 1986 show more morphological similarities with the new described species, especially in color pattern and dorsal macrochaetotaxy. With L. nigrosetosus the new species shares: similar labial and most trunk macrochaetotaxy (excluding am6 on Abd. III and considering C 1 in Abd. IV is actually B 3 in L. nigrosetosus ), and differs in: absence of macrochaetae in outer Abd. IV (in L. nigrosetosus ), presence of interocular and appendicular scales (absent in the new species) and approximately 40 spines on trochanteral organ in L. nigrosetosus . Lepidocyrtus sotoi sp. nov. is similar to L. finus in the absence of scales on antennae and legs, presence of dental appendix and labial chaetotaxy, but differs in color pattern ( L. finus presents a transversal band of pigment on middle Abd. IV), chaetotaxy of Abd. IV and presence of apical bulb on Ant. IV in L. finus (absent in the new species). Finally with L. biphasis the new species share: absence of antennae and legs scales, same interocular chaetotaxy, similar empodial morphology and macrochaetotaxy of Th. II to Abd. II, while they differ almost completely in the macrochaetotaxy of Abd. IV and trochanteral organ morphology ( Mari Mutt 1986). In a phylogenetic perspective, Lepidocyrtus sotoi sp. nov. is possibly more related to L. biphasis and L. finus since the phylogeny of the Neotropical Lepidocyrtini grouped taxa without scales on antennae and legs ( Mari Mutt 1986, Soto-Adames 2002a). A comparison among the cited species of Neotropical Lepidocyrtus is presented in Table 1 .

Lepidocyrtus sotoi sp. nov. represents the tenth species of Lepidocyrtini recorded to Brazil, along with: Lepidocyrtus maldonadoi Mari Mutt, 1986 , L. nigrosetosus , L. pallidus Reuter, 1895 , Pseudosinella alba ( Packard, 1873) , P. biunguiculata Ellis, 1967 , P. brevicornis Handschin, 1924 , P. dubia Christiansen, 1960 , P. octopunctata Börner, 1901 and Rhynchocyrtus klausi Mendonça & Fernandes, 2007 ( Bellini & Zeppelini 2009, Abrantes et al. 2010, 2012, Bellini 2014).

Abbreviations used to represent characteristics: (-) absent; (+) present; (i) internal; (e) external; (?) unclear/undescribed.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 13. Lepidocyrtus sotoi sp. nov.: 2, apex of Ant. IV; 3, Sense organ of Ant. III and associated chaetae and sensilla; 4, eyepatch (right side) and interocular chaetae; 5, pre-labral and labral chaetae; 6, labral papillae; 7, maxillary palp and sublobal plate (right side); 8, labial papilla E (left side); 9, labial triangle chaetotaxy (right side); 10, trochanteral organ; 11, hind foot complex; 12, proximal dental appendix; 13, distal dens and mucro.

FIGURES 14 – 17. Lepidocyrtus sotoi sp. nov.: 14, dorsal head chaetotaxy; 15, dorsal Th. II chaetotaxy; 16, dorsal Th. III chaetotaxy; 17, dorsal Abd. I chaetotaxy.

FIGURES 18 – 21. Lepidocyrtus sotoi sp. nov.: 18, dorsal Abd. II chaetotaxy; 19, dorsal Abd. III chaetotaxy; 20, dorsal Abd. IV chaetotaxy; 21, dorsal Abd. V chaetotaxy.

Tables

TABLE 1. Comparison of cited species of Neotropical Lepidocyrtus.

	Species
Morphological features	L. biphasis	L. finus	L. nigrosetosus L. sotoi sp. nov.
Antennal and legs scales	-	-	+ -
Apical bulb of Ant. IV	+	+	- -
Interocular scales	-	?	+ -
Posterior labial chaetotaxy	MrEL1L2	M1M2rEL1L2	M1M2rEL1L2 M1M2rEL1L2
Abd. III dorsal macrochaetae	0i+3e	0i+4e	0i+3e 0i+2e
Abd. IV dorsal internal macrochaetae	2	2	4 4
Number of spines in trochanteral organ	12	?	41 27
Unguiculus shape	truncate	lanceolate	truncate/ lanceolate lanceolate