Seira raptora, Zeppelini & Bellini, 2006

Zeppelini, Douglas & Bellini, Bruno Cavalcante, 2006, Two Seira Lubbock 1869 (Collembola, Arthropleona, Entomobryidae) new to science, with remarkable secondary sexual characters, Zootaxa 1185 (1), pp. 21-35 : 22-28

Seira raptora sp. n.

( Fig. 1–9 )

Etymology Raptor is the Greek word for grab, in allusion to the species’ males grabbing fore legs.

Type material

Holotype ♂, BRAZIL, Paraíba. Cacimba de Dentro, Fazenda Cachoeira da Capivara , 18­v­2003. Zeppelini, D. ( MZUSP) . Paratypes: BRAZIL, Paraíba: 2♀, 4♂ , BRAZIL, Paraíba. Cacimba de Dentro, Fazenda Cachoeira da Capivara , 18­v­2003. Zeppelini, D. ( MZUSP) .

Description

Total length (head and body) of the holotype 1.65 mm, habitus entomobryid with first pair of legs in a raptorial position ( Fig. 1 , 2 ). Color variable from pale yellow to brown, hoyer mounted adult animals with blue pigment in the antennae, eye patches, meso and metathorax lateral­ventral edges, abdominal segments II, III, IV ventral edges, coxae and trochanters in the legs. The body is covered with rounded scales of pale brown color. Fourth antennal segment not annulate ( Fig. 1 ), with a single apical bulb and without pin setae. Scales present on venter of first antennal segments, on both faces of second and basal 1/3 of third antennal segment. Eye patches oval, with lenses G and H much smaller than others ( Fig. 3 ). Pre labral setae smooth, labral setae smooth. Labial triangle seta r normal and smooth, M1­2 and E feathered. ( Fig. 4 ). Trochanteral organ with 27 setae. Ungues with four inner teeth, one pair at the base, plus an unpaired medial tooth and one tiny apical tooth ( Fig. 5a ), the medial (unpaired) tooth is smaller than the basal (paired) teeth. Unguiculi acuminate with weak serrations. Tenent hair capitate and ciliate as usual in the genus ( Fig. 5a–b ). Femur of the first leg strongly broadened ventrally in adult males, bearing a file of fourteen setae modified into strong spines, in a projection in the apex of the femur ( Fig. 6a–b ). The tibiotarsus is slender and curved to form a sort of a nipper, when folded against the femur ( Fig. 6–7 ). The setae at the ventral edge of the tibia are long, curved and stout ( Fig. 7 ), probably to hold things seized between the femur and the tibiotarsus. Venter of manubrium with 4 subapical setae. Macrochaetae distribution as seen in figure 8a and 9a–d.

Remarks

The striking modification in the fore legs is enough to separate this species from any all congeners. Otherwise, this species is similar to S. mirianae Arlé and Guimarães. They both lack macrochaetae on the first abdominal segment. S. raptora sp. n. is similar in other aspects to S. andensis Jacquemart. They both lack macrochaetae on the first abdominal segment, and have four 4a and three 4b macrochaete on the head, as well as a similar number and position of macrochaetae a, b and c in the second thoracic segment, three macrochaetae a in the second abdominal segment and one macrochaetae a in the third. S. raptora sp. n. differs from other species in the remaining aspects of its chaetotaxy ( Fig. 8a ), additional comparisons are shown in table I.

Habitat

S. raptora sp. n. was collected in semi­arid biome, named “caatinga” in Northeastern Brazil. The climate is As’ at the bioclimatic region 3bth, according to Koeppen’s system. It was collected in a dry river bank, with Berlese­Tullgren extractor, and in the forest soil with soil pit fall traps. The animals were found both in the dry and wet season, indicating that it is resistant to the harsh climate of the region. During the wet season the species S. mirianae (previously known from the Rio de Janeiro coastal forest, Southeastern Brazil) was found sympatrically with S. raptora sp. n. ( Bellini & Zeppelini, 2005; Zeppelini, 2005). It is worth noting that only 20 km (~12.5 mi) away, amongst the caatinga, there is an elevated area with a different vegetation called “brejo”. This area is covered with a forest which is taller and wetter than is usual in caatinga, it also has a milder climate. Despite these apparently suitable conditions, S. raptora sp. n. was not found in this area, instead S. nigrans (Arlé) was found during the wet season ( Zeppelini, 2005). Thus it appears that S. raptora sp. n. is associated with the specific climatic conditions of semiarid in Northeastern Brazil. The limits of the species’ distribution are unknown, and the destruction of the biome caatinga is a potential threat to the survival of the species.

Distribution Good’s biogeographic zone 27.

AC, acuminate; A, apical; M, medial;?, doubtful record; * holotype measures.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Seira raptora sp. n., habitus; SEM 165x, bar lenght 100 m.

FIGURE 2. Seira raptora sp. n., raptorial prolegs; SEM 155x, bar lenght 100 m.

FIGURE 3. Seira raptora sp. n., left eye patch, small lenses G and H; SEM 1300x.

FIGURE 4. Seira raptora sp. n., labial triangle, showing seta r normal and smooth, M1­2 and E feathered; SEM 1650x.

FIGURE 5. Seira raptora sp. n., third foot complex, a— basal tooth bigger than medial and apical teeth; b — tenent hair capitate and ciliate; SEM 3300x, bar length 10 m.

FIGURE 6. Seira raptora sp. n., femur of the male left first leg; a — femur lateral view showing the femoral ventral broadening with spines in the apex, SEM 370x; b — close of the file of spines at the ventral distal apex of the femur, SEM 1150x.

FIGURE 7. Seira raptora sp. n., tibia of the male right leg; SEM 500x.

FIGURE 8. Macrochaetae distribution, a — S. raptora sp. n.; b — S. mantis sp. n. Schematic representation according to Christiansen and Bellinger (1998, 2000) modified from Jacquemart, 1974.

FIGURE 9. Seira raptora sp. n. general chaetotaxy; a — meso and meta thoracic segments, and first abdominal segment, SEM 650x, bar 20µm; b — second abdominal segment, SEM 1000x, bar 20 m; c— third abdominal segment, SEM 950x, bar 10µm; d — fourth abdominal segment, SEM 500x, bar 100 m.