Neanura MacGillivray, 1893

Smolis, Adrian, Shayanmehr, Masoumeh & Yoosefi-Lafooraki, Elham, 2018, New members of the genera Neanura MacGillivray, 1893 and Deutonura Cassagnau, 1979 (Collembola: Neanuridae) from the Middle East, European Journal of Taxonomy 406, pp. 1-16 : 4

Genus Neanura MacGillivray, 1893

Type species

Achorutes muscorum Templeton, 1835 .

Since the new species described below is characterized by a number of characters unknown in other members of the genus, e.g., the absence of cephalic chaetae A and the fusion of lateral tubercles on the head into one mass, the currently accepted diagnosis of the genus as proposed by Deharveng (1982) is emended here. Moreover, three recently erected genera ( Kalanura , Xylanura Smolis, 2011 and Persanura Mayvan et al., 2015 ; see Smolis 2007, 2011 and Mayvan et al. 2015) morphologically strongly resemble the genus Neanura . As a result, its diagnosis requires extension based on new morphological characters (e.g., relative length of cephalic chaetae A and B, presence of tubercles Di on Abd., arrangement of tubercles on Abd. V, presence of male ventral organ) diagnostic and useful for generic characterization within the tribe Neanurini .

Emended diagnosis

Body colour blue to grey or whitish. Eyes with 3+3 dark pigmented ocelli. Dorsal tubercles and reticulations present, well developed. Abdominal segments IV and V subequal in length. Chaetotaxy of body and appendages not polychaetotic. Ant. IV with 8 subequal S–chaetae. Labral chaetotaxy 4/2, 4 or 2/2,4. Mouthparts reduced, maxilla styliform, mandible tridentate. Tubercles Af and Cl on head separate. Chaetae A on head present or rarely absent. If present, chaetae A and B of same length. Chaetae Ocp on head present or absent. Head with tubercles (Dl + L) and So or rarely they are fused into single mass. Sometimes tubercle (L+Dl) on head consists of two parts (L+1/2Dl) and Dl’. Arrangement of chaetae Di and De on head of cross-type, line of chaetae Di2–De2 crosses line Di1–De1. Tubercles Di and De on head separate. Tubercles Di on Th. I present or absent. Th. II–III with 3 chaetae Di. Tubercles Di on Abd. I–IV present. Tubercles Di never fused on abdominal segment IV, but fused, partially fused or separate on Abd. V. Each half of Abd. V with 3 or 2 chaetae Di. Cryptopygy absent or slightly developed. Abd. VI bilobed. Furcal remnant without microchaetae. Chaeta L’ present or absent. Adult males usually with modified chaetae on ventral side of abdomen (male ventral organ). Tibiotarsi with 19, 19, 18 chaetae, clavate chaetae absent. Claw without inner tooth.