Trogolaphysa fuelleborni ( Börner, 1903 ) Nguyen & Soto-Adames, 2018

Nguyen, Minh & Soto-Adames, Felipe N., 2018, Annotated checklist of Afrotropical Trogolaphysa Mills, 1938 (Hexapoda: Collembola: Paronellidae) and description of a new species from Madagascar, Zoosystema 40 (10), pp. 179-196 : 182-183

Trogolaphysa fuelleborni ( Börner, 1903) n. comb.

Paronella fuelleborni Börner, 1903: 143-144 , fig. 10 (Langenburg, Nyassa region, Tanzania). — Wahlgren, 1908 (compared to P. nigromaculata , description of color pattern and claw structure, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania). — Philiptschenko 1926: 192-193 (proposed as synonym of P. nigromaculata Schött, 1903 ). — Denis 1933: 263, 268 (compared to T. separata Denis, 1933 , suggestion that synonymization with P. nigromaculata by Philiptschenko [1926] is unjustified). — Womersley 1934: 441, 471 (records from literature?, Tanzania [Nyassa, Kilimanjaro], Madagascar?). — Martynova 1961: 482-483 (synonym of P. nigromaculata ).

Dicranocentruga fuelleborni – Mitra 2002c: 114.

TYPE LOCALITY. — Langenburg (now Tukuyu), Nyassa region, Tanzania.

DISTRIBUTION. — Tanzania (Tukuyu, Kilimanjaro), Madagascar?

REMARKS

This species was originally described from southern Tanzania, near the northern shore of Lake Malawi. Börner’s (1903) original description dealt mostly with generalized characters that provide little valuable information to characterize the species. This has resulted in general confusion on the identity of the species, and whether it is a junior synonym of P.nigromaculata Schött, 1903 . Thus, on examining specimens from Kenya he identified as P. nigromaculata, Philiptschenko (1926) declared the species to be so variable as to encompass the morphology observed in T. fuelleborni n. comb. Denis (1933) included T. fuelleborni n. comb. in his key to Paronella species and pointed out that the placement of inner teeth of the unguis (on the distal half of the inner margin) distinguishes this species from P. nigromaculata . Denis further suggested that Philiptschenko’s material from Kenya may represent a different species altogether. Womersley (1934) published a list of African species which included a report of T. fuelleborni n. comb. from Madagascar. Womersley (1934) did not provide additional information about the material on which this report was based, and it remains unclear if the report from Madagascar is real or a mistake. Martynova (1961) supported Philiptschenko’s conclusion based on the variation displayed by material from Kenya she identified as P. nigromaculata .

We place this species in Trogolaphysa based on its general similarity to P.nigromaculata (see Remarks to P. nigromaculata below). Given the confusion in the literature as to how to characterize T. fuelleborni n. comb., it is difficult to provide an adequate description without examining type specimens or topotypical material. Following Börner’s (1903) original description the species has a light brownish yellow background color with dark blue pigment covering flanks of body, head darker anteriorly, 1 st and 2 nd antennal segments light, all other antennal segments dark blue, coxae dark blue; tenet hair long and spatulate; unguis with 4 inner teeth, paired teeth subequal, inserted on distal half of inner edge, proximal unpaired tooth shorter than paired teeth and inserted on distal half of inner edge, away from basal teeth; dens with 1 row of spines; mucro short, with 4 teeth.

Based on the descriptions available, the only character distinguishing T. fuelleborni n. comb. is the displacement of the inner teeth of the unguis to the distal half of the claw ( Fig. 5C ).

Figures

FIG. 5. — A, Trogolaphysa grassei (Delamare Debouteville, 1952) n. comb.hind claw form Delamare-Deboutteville (1952);B, T. ghesquierei (Marlier,1945) n. comb. hind claw from Marlier (1945);C, T. fuelleborni n. comb.hind claw from Börner (1903); D, T.monomaculata, hind claw from Barra (1969);E, L. flava, hind claw from Carpenter (1916); F, T. monomaculata, mucro from Barra (1969); G, T. vivieni, mucro from Barra (1969); H, T. beguei (Delamare Debouteville, 1951) n. comb, hind claw complex, modified from Delamare Deboutteville (1951a); I, T. lamottei (Delamare Debouteville,1950) n. comb.habitus, modified from Delamare Deboutteville (1950b); J, T. beguei n. comb. habitus, modified from Delamare Deboutteville (1951a).