Simonachorutes, Skarżyński, Dariusz, Arbea, Javier I. & Piwnik, Agata, 2016

Skarżyński, Dariusz, Arbea, Javier I. & Piwnik, Agata, 2016, Simonachorutes, a new genus of Pseudachorutinae (Collembola, Neanuridae) from Europe, Zootaxa 4205 (2), pp. 171-179 : 172

Simonachorutes gen. nov.

Type species: Pseudachorutes romeroi Simón 1986: 300

Diagnosis. Habitus of Pseudachorutes -type. Small size. Pigmentation bluish-grey. Ocelli 8 + 8, postantennal organ oval. Buccal cone very long, mandibles absent, maxilla styliform. Labrum long pointed at apex. Labium without organites x and papillate setae L. Head with unpaired seta d1 present and seta a0 absent. Tibiotarsal chaetotaxy reduced. Furcula present.

Etymology. Dedicated to José Carlos Simón Benito, a prominent Spanish researcher of collembolan fauna, who described the type species of the new genus.

Remarks. Simonachorutes gen. nov. is most similar to Pseudachorutes in the presence of full number of ocelli, postantennal organ and furcula. Nevertheless it can be easily distinguished from this genus by the absence of mandibles (vs. mandibles present), very long buccal cone (vs. short or prolonged) and 15–17, 15–17, 14–16 setae on tibiotarsi I, II and III (vs. 19, 19, 18 or 18, 18, 17). Simonachorutes gen. nov. shares with Paranurida and Pongeia lack of mandibles. However, they differ in many essential characters e.g. the number of ocelli ( Simonachorutes gen. nov. 8 + 8, Paranurida 2 + 2, Pongeia eyes absent), the presence of postantennal organ ( Simonachorutes gen. nov. and Pongeia present, Paranurida absent), the shape of buccal cone ( Simonachorutes gen. nov. very long, Paranurida and Pongeia slightly elongated), the shape of maxillar head ( Simonachorutes gen. nov. and Paranurida styliform, Pongeia globular) and the presence of furcula ( Simonachorutes gen. nov. present, Paranurida and Pongeia absent).