Friesea hnaeu, Weiner & Bedos & Deharveng, 2009

Weiner, Wanda Maria, Bedos, Anne & Deharveng, Louis, 2009, Species of the genus Friesea (Collembola, Neanuridae) from New Caledonia and Vanuatu, Zoosystema 31 (3), pp. 507-518 : 509-511

Friesea hnaeu n. sp.

( Fig. 1 )

TYPE MATERIAL. — New Caledonia. Loyalty Islands, Lifou Island, Hnaeu, near Grotte de Hunane, litter Berlese extraction, 23.X.2000, Deharveng & Bedos leg. (sample no. NC00-084), ♀ holotype on slide ( MNHN). — Same data as holotype (sample no. NC00-082), 1 paratype ♂ preadult on slide ( MNHN).

TYPE LOCALITY. — New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, Lifou Island, Hnaeu, near Grotte de Hunane, litter.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia. Loyalty Islands, Lifou Island, Kedeigne, near the coast, Araucaria forest, 5 m a.s.l., soil, Berlese extraction, 29.X.2000, Deharveng & Bedos leg. (sample no. NC00-135), 1 ex. ( ISEA).

ETYMOLOGY. — From the name of its type locality, Hnaeu, on Lifou Island.

ECOLOGY. — Friesea hnaeu n. sp. is a rare species in our samples. A few specimens were found in secondary forest on the limestone plateau of Lifou, but it was absent in our samples from other islands of the Loyalties (Maré, Tiga, Ouvéa).

DESCRIPTION

Habitus and buccal cone typical for the genus Friesea . Length: 0.58mm (holotype), 0.52 mm (paratype). Colour white in alcohol. Integument secondary granules rather small.

Antennae about ¾ of head length. Antennal segment I with 7 chaetae, antennal segment II with 12 chaetae. Sensory organ of antennal segment III consisting of 2 small subcylindrical internal s-chaetae, 2 subcylindrical guard s-chaetae, and 1 ventral s-microchaeta. Antennal segment IV with 6 subcylindrical s-chaetae (S1-4, S7-8 present), 1 small s-microchaeta placed between S7 and S8, and 1 small subapical organite. Apical vesicle simple ( Fig. 1B, C ).

Ocelli and postantennal organ absent. Chaetotaxy of labrum: 4/5,3,4 ( Fig. 1E ). Labium with papillated chaeta L ( Fig. 1E ).

Dorsal chaetotaxy as in Figure 1A , with short, subequal, acuminate chaetae (sometimes a few very slightly capitate on hind terga) and slightly longer s-chaetae. Chaetae s relatively thick and short from thoracic tergum II to abdominal tergum III, thicker on abdominal tergum IV, longer and more slender on abdominal tergum V. Their formula per half tergum: 022/11111. Head with chaetae a0, d0 and 3 chaetae oc. Thoracic tergum I with 3+3 (3+4) chaetae. Thoracic tergum II with 12+12 chaetae (4 chaetae Di including a2, 5 chaetae De including s-chaeta in third position of p-row and 3 chaetae DL including 1 s-chaeta), and 1 s-microchaeta in DL. Thoracic tergum III with 11+11 chaetae (same arrangement as previous tergum, but without a2). Thoracic sterna II and III without chaetae. Abdominal tergum V with 2+2 chaetae between s-chaetae. Abdominal tergum VI with 2 spine-like chaetae. Ventral abdominal chaetotaxy as in Figure 1F . Ventral tube with 4+4 chaetae. Abdominal sternum II with 4+4, abdominal sternum III with 7+7 chaetae Ve. Anal valves each with 3 chaetae hr.

Tibiotarsi I, II and III with 18, 18 and 17 chaetae respectively, of which 11 in the distal whorl, without chaetae M ( Fig. 1D ). Tibiotarsus III without chaeta B7. No clavate tenent hairs. Femora I, II and III with 12, 10-11 and 9-10 chaetae respectively, trochanters with 5, 5 and 4-5 chaetae, coxae I, II and III with 2, 5 and 7 chaetae, subcoxae 2 of legs I, II and III with 0, 2 and 2 chaetae, subcoxae 1 of legs I, II and III with 1, 2 and 2 chaetae. Claw untoothed.

Tenaculum and furca absent, but 2+2 microchaetae present in place of furca.

REMARKS

The combination of two anal spines and absence of eyes places the new species near Friesea araucana Izarra, 1972 , described very briefly on a single specimen from Isla Victoria in Argentina ( Izarra 1972). Specimens from New Caledonia are smaller (0.52-0.58 mm, against 0.66 mm for F. araucana ); they have shorter chaetae on abdominal terga V and VI, and thicker s-chaetae on antennal segment IV (especially S7 and S8). Friesea araucana , after the figure 19 ( Izarra 1972: 93), is deprived of the whorl T on the leg III, while the New Caledonian species has it. These differences are sufficient to separate F. araucana from our new species, though a redescription of the former would be necessary. The new species is also similar to Friesea kanchanaburiensis Deharveng & Bedos, 1991 described from Thailand. They differ in the number of tibiotarsal chaetae (17, 17, 16 in the new species vs. 13, 13, 12 in F. kanchanaburiensis ), chaetotaxy of thoracic terga II and III (DL with 4+S chaetae in the new species vs. 3+S in F. kanchanaburiensis ) and number of spine-like chaetae on abdominal tergum VI (2 in the new species vs. 4 in F. kanchanaburiensis ).

Figures

FIG. 1. — Friesea hnaeu n. sp.: A, dorsal chaetotaxy, with limits of chaetal groups Di, De and DL; thoracic tergum I asymmetrical; B, antenna, dorsal view; C, antenna, ventral view; D, distal part of leg I, ventral view (praetarsus and claw omitted); E, labrum and labium; F, ventral chaetotaxy of abdomen. Scale bars: A, F, 0.1 mm; B-E, 0.01 mm.