Lepidocyrtus juliae, Mateos, Eduardo, 2011

Mateos, Eduardo, 2011, New Lepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 taxa from Greece (Collembola: Entomobryidae), Zootaxa 3108, pp. 25-40 : 28-31

Lepidocyrtus juliae sp. nov.

Figs 1–17 , Tabs 1–4

Type material. Holotype: female on slide ( CRBA 7877), Georgioupoli, Crete ( Greece), 9 m above sea level, lat/ long coordinates N35.360540 E24.251808 (LOC170 see Table 1 ), on herbaceous vegetation, hand collecting, 7.iv.2009, leg. E. Mateos. Paratypes: 1 female and 9 specimens without visible sexual plate on slides, the same data as holotype. Type material (holotype, female paratype slide CRBA 7879, and specimen slide CRBA 7878) saved in collection of the Centre de Recursos de Biodiversitat Animal, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (http:// www.crba.ub.edu); 8 paratypes kept in the E. Mateos’ collection (lot LP229).

Other material. Same data as type material; 35 spec. preserved in alcohol and kept in the E. Mateos’ collection.

Etymology. The species is named after author’s daughter Julia Mateos.

Description. Holotype body length (without head nor furca) 1.4 mm, paratypes 1.3–1.5 mm. Body color pattern ( Fig. 1 ) formed by two broads spots on abd.III, almost filling the dorsum of that segment, leaving only a median uncolored spot, and two smaller patches postero-laterally on abd.IV. Ant.II–III–IV weakly pigmented. Ocular areas densely black pigmented. Mesothorax slightly projected over the head.

Antenna with scales on ant.I–II. Ratio antenna:cephalic diagonal = 1.8–2.0, ratio ant.I:II:III:IV such as 1:1.6:1.6:2.4. Basis of ant.I dorsally with three microchaetae arranged in triangle. Ant.III organ composed by two subcilindrical and curved sensory rods ( Fig. 2 ). Ant.IV without apical bulb. 8+8 eyes of equal size.

Prelabral and labral setae in typical number 4/554 ( Fig. 3 ), prelabral setae ciliated, first and second rows of labral setae smooth, apical row of labral setae branched ( Fig. 4 ), inverted U-shaped labral apical intrusion, four rounded labral papillae with three small pointed expansions ( Fig 3 ). Outer maxillary palp with two smooth macrochaetae ( Fig. 5 ). Lateral process (sensu Fjellberg 1999) of outer labial papilla curved, tip just reaching the apex of the papilla ( Fig. 6 ).

Labium anterior row (a1–a5) formed by smooth setae, posterior row formed by ciliated setae (M1M2R*EL1L2), with R half in length on seta M2 (marked as R*) ( Fig. 7 ). Ventral cephalic groove with 4+4 ciliated macrochaetae and 2+2 (3+3) scales.

The dorsal macrochaetae formula is R0R1R2So/00/0101+3 ( Fig. 8 ). Dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy with a pair of supplementary macrochaetae R1s between R0 and R1. Maximum number of macrochaetae A on the head 10+10 ( Fig. 9 ). Interocular chaetotaxy with s, t, q, p ciliated setae and 3–4 scales ( Fig. 10 ).

Abd.II–III chaetotaxy as in Figs 11–12 . Abd.II seta ml absent, abd.III seta d3 absent. All setae associated with the trichobothria on abd.II–III acuminate and strongly ciliate.

Abd.IV dorsal and dorsolateral macrochaetae of two distinct morphologies: B4, B5, B6, C1, D3, E2, E3, E4, F1, F2, F3 broader and with broad socket T6, T7, D2, De 3, E1, E4p, Fe4, Fe5 shorter or longer but always thinner and with socket of minor diameter. Macrochaeta F2 above macrochaeta E3 ( Fig. 13 ). Trichobothrium T2 without accessory seta s. Trichobothrial complex setae D1, m, pi and pe acuminate and strongly ciliate, seta a fan-shaped ( Fig. 14 ). Five posterior smooth mesochaetae on abd.IV present.

Legs with scales except in claws. V-shaped trochanteral organ formed by a maximum of 11 smooth straight setae ( Fig. 15 ). Unguis with basal paired teeth at 52% of the inner edge, and with two inner unpaired teeth at 68% (the bigger) and 88% of the inner edge respectively. Unguiculus lanceolate with serrated outer margin. Tibiotarsal tenent hair spatulate ( Fig. 16 ).

Furca with scales on dorsal and ventral surfaces. Ratio manubrium:dens:mucro such as 17:20:1. Manubrial plate with 3 inner setae and a maximum of 8 outer setae ( Fig. 17 ).

Ecology and distribution. All specimens were obtained in the same locality beating the herbaceous vegetation composed exclusively by Oxalis pes-caprae (L.) (Magnoliopsida, Oxalidaceae ).

Discussion. Ellis (1976) described two specimens from Crete with the same color pattern described here for L. juliae sp. nov., and identified them as L. lignorum form? assuming that these were a color variation of L. lignorum . Subsequently, Gruia et al. (2000) described L. lignorum triangulata form from several localities of Israel, and considered this was the same color form of L. lignorum forma? described by Ellis in Crete. With the new population of Crete studied in this paper it concludes that the color forms described by Ellis and Gruia et al. correspond to L. juliae sp. nov.

By dorsal macrochaetae chaetotaxy and morphology of unguis and empodium, L. juliae sp. nov. is very close to species L. barbulus sp. nov., L. lignorum , L. tellecheae , L. instratus Handschin, 1924 and L. violaceus Lubbock, 1873 (see Mateos 2008a). Of these five species L. juliae sp. nov. can be differentiated by the color pattern; from L. instratus also differs by the unguis morphology; from L. barbulus sp. nov., L. lignorum and L. tellecheae also differs by the presence of ocular seta q, the absence of abd.II seta ml, high C1–B4/B4–B6 relation on abd.IV, and by acuminate and ciliate setae (instead of fan-shaped) associated with the trichobothria of abd.II-III-IV; from L. lignorum also differs by its serrate unguiculus; from L. barbulus sp. nov. and L. tellecheae also differs because of its lower body size, the absence of scales on ant.III, fewer trochanteral organ and manubrial plate setae, and absence of abd.III seta d3.

Figures

FIGURE 1. L. juliae sp. nov.: Habitus.

FIGURES 2 – 8. L. juliae sp. nov.: 2, ant. III; 3, labrum; 4, apical labral seta; 5, maxilary palp; 6, outer labial palp; 7, labium (left side) and ventral cephalic groove; 8, dorsal macrochaetae (circles), trichobotria (lines) and pseudopora (#).

FIGURES 9 – 10. L. juliae sp. nov.: 9, dorsal head chaetotaxy, broad circles –– long ciliated macrochaetae, small circles –– short ciliated macrochaetae, lines –– mesochaetae; 10, interocular chaetotaxy (right ocular area).

FIGURES 11 – 12. L. juliae sp. nov.: 11, abd. II complete chaetotaxy, broad circles –– broad ciliated macrochatae, lines –mesochetae, pse –– pseudoporus; 12, abd. III complete chaetotaxy, broad circles –– broad ciliated macrochatae, small circles –thin ciliated macrochaetae, lines –– mesochetae, pse –– pseudoporus.

FIGURES 13 – 14. L. juliae sp. nov.: 13, abd. IV complete chaetotaxy, broad black circles –– broad ciliated macrochatae, small black circles –– thin ciliated macrochaetae, lines –– smooth mesochaetae and microchaetae, triangles –– fan-shaped setae, x –trichobothria, # –– pseudoporus; 14, abd. IV trichobotrial complex.

FIGURES 15 – 17. L. juliae sp. nov.: 15, trochanteral organ (other setae than trochanteral organ omitted); 16, third leg unguis and unguiculus; 17, manubrial plate, circles –– ciliated macrochaetae, filled circles –– pseudopora.