Cryptopygus inflatus, Potapov & Janion-Scheepers & Deharveng, 2020

Potapov, Mikhail B., Janion-Scheepers, Charlene & Deharveng, Louis, 2020, Taxonomy of the Cryptopygus complex. III. The revision of South African species of Cryptopygus and Isotominella (Collembola, Isotomidae), ZooKeys 945, pp. 99-127 : 99

Cryptopygus inflatus sp. nov. Figures 24 , 32-36

Type material.

Holotype and 21 paratypes: South Africa • Western Cape, Cederberg Wilderness Area, Wolfberg Cracks; 32.471507S, 19.278397E; 19 Feb. 2011; C. Janion-Scheepers leg.; litter, Tullgren extraction; RSA11_CED002. Holotype and three paratypes deposited on two slides at SAMC, six paratypes on three slides deposited at SMNG, four paratypes on two slides deposited at MSPU, and eight paratypes on four slides at NMHN. Ten paratypes in ethanol deposited at SAMC.

Other material.

South Africa • Western Cape, Cederberg Wilderness Area; 32.310167S, 19.175183E; Oct. 2008, C. Janion-Scheepers leg.; pitfall trap, RSA08_CED001.

Form with two chaetae on the basal part of the posterior side of the dens (see text below) from: South Africa, Northern Cape, Ezeljacht farm, 20 km from Sutherland, 32.4105S, 20.57747E, 1550m asl, 16 Jul. 2007, litter of shrub, C. Janion-Scheepers leg, RSA09_SUT001.

Form with three chaetae on the basal part of the posterior side of the dens (see text below) from: South Africa, Western Cape, Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, Franschoek, 33.902967S, 19.158950E, 06 Oct. 2008, Litter trap with Galenia litter (MR510), C. Janion-Scheepers leg.

Diagnosis.

8+8 ocelli. Macrochaetae short. Anterior side of manubrium with 1+1 chaetae. Dens of medium length. Mucro tridentate.

Description.

Body size 0.6-0.9 mm. Body grey, Abd. V well separated from Abd. IV and fused with Abd. VI, slightly swollen (Figs 24 , 33 ). Cuticle unmodified. Ocelli 8+8 (Fig. 36 ). PAO more than three times as long as ocellus, about as long as width of Ant. I and 1.8-2 times as long as inner unguis length. Maxillary head with unmodified lamellae. Maxillary outer lobe with four sublobal hairs, maxillary palp bifurcate. Labral formula as 3/5,5,4, edge of labrum not reduced. Labium with five usual papillae (A-E), guard chaetae e7 present, three proximal and four basomedian chaetae. Ventral side of head with 4+4 chaetae. Ant. I with two ventral s-chaetae (s) and three small basal micro s-chaetae (bms), two dorsal and one ventral (one dorsal large) (Fig. 34 ), Ant. II with three bms and one latero-distal s, Ant. III with one bms and five distal s (including one lateral), without additional s-chaetae. S-chaetae on Ant. IV weakly differentiated. Organite and subapical micro s-chaeta of normal shape, small and set together as normal.

Common chaetae smooth. S-formula (Fig. 32 ) as 4,3/2,2,2,3,5 (s), 1,0/0,0,0 (ms). Tergal s-chaetae much shorter than common chaetae and well distinguishable. Medial s-chaetae on Th. II-Abd. III situated in mid-tergal position. On Abd. V all s-chaetae short subequal. Macrochaetae short, 1,1/3,3,3 in number, medial ones on Abd. VI 0.3-0.4 times longer than dens and 0.3-0.7 times longer than mucro. Foil chaetae at the tip of abdomen absent. Axial chaetotaxy as 8,7/4,4,4,7 (based on one individual). All thoracic segments without ventral chaetae.

Unguis of normal shape, without teeth. Empodial appendage about 0.6 as long as unguis. Tibiotarsi without additional chaetae on Leg I and II (21 chaetae), and with several chaetae on Leg III (>26). Tibiotarsal tenent hairs pointed. Ventral tube with 4+4 laterodistal and 5-6 posterior chaetae, anteriorly without chaetae. Tenaculum with 4+4 teeth and two chaetae. Anterior furcal subcoxa with 12-13, posterior one with 5-6 chaetae. Anterior side of manubrium with 1+1 chaeta, posterior side with 4+4 laterobasal and about 22 chaetae on main part, with a pair of lateral chaetae (Fig. 35 ). Dens normal, with crenulation, with 11-12 anterior and six posterior chaetae (three basal and two at middle and one subapical and very small). Mucro tridentate. Ratio manubrium: dens: mucro = 4.4-5.7: 4.3-4.7: 1.

Etymology.

The name is derived from the swollen posterior part of abdomen.

Distribution and ecology.

Known from mostly dry, mountainous areas, from the Northern Cape (Sutherland), the Cederberg Wilderness area, and Franschhoek (not as dry as previous two sites).

Discussion.

Considering all species in the Cryptopygus complex, the combination of 8+8 ocelli and tridentate mucro is unique. The only species resembling our species is Proisotoma (Isotomina) pseudominuta Schött, 1927, described from Cameroon. However, this species has clavate tenent hairs and a shorter dens, while Cryptopygus inflatus sp. nov. does not have clavate tenent hairs.

Some variation exists in the material examined and two forms of unclear status can be recognized; both have an ms on Abd. I (1,0/1,0,0) while C. inflatus sp. nov. does not. These two forms differ as follows:

a. Specimens from Sutherland (SUT002) have an ms and two chaetae on the basal part of the posterior side of the dens.

b. Specimens from Mont Rochelle (MR510) have an ms on Abd. I and three chaetae on the basal part of the posterior side of the dens like in C. inflatus sp. nov.

Figures

Figures 23 - 25. Appearance and macrochaetotaxy of C. postantennalis sp. nov. (23), C. inflatus sp. nov. (24), and C. longisensillus sp. nov. (25).

Figures 32 - 36. C. inflatus sp. nov. 32 macrochaetotaxy and s-ms-pattern 33 Abd. IV and fused Abd. V and VI 34 Ant. I 35 dens, lateral view 36 ocelli and PAO. Abbreviations: ss s-chaeta, bms basal ms-chaeta, msms-chaeta.