Gracilentulus sarmaticus, Shrubovych, Julia & Szeptycki, Andrzej, 2008

Shrubovych, Julia & Szeptycki, Andrzej, 2008, Gracilentulus sarmaticus sp. nov. from Southeast Ukraine (Protura: Acerentomidae, Berberentulinae), Zootaxa 1898, pp. 34-40 : 34-39

Gracilentulus sarmaticus sp. nov.

Material examined. Type material. Holotype, female (nr 16.1a), litter and soil in bushes on the western bank of the river Ingul, Mykolajivski district, Ukraine, 5. V. 2006, leg. I. Kaprus. Paratypes: 16 females and 1 male, the same data as holotype. Other materials: 1 maturus junior and 2 larvae II, the same data as holotype, 2 females and 1 maturus junior, soil on steppe meadow in valley of river Velyka Korabelna, near Blagodatne, Mykolajivski district, Ukraine, 3. V. 2006, leg. I. Kaprus.

Holotype, 13 females and 1 male (slides nr 16.1–16.9) and other materials are deposited in the collection of SNHM; 3 females (slides nr 16.10 and 16.11) in the collection of ISEA.

Figs 6 — paratype 16.1 b, others—holotype.

All specimens are mounted as microscopic slides in the medium of Faure ( Dunger & Fiedler 1989).

Description. Head setae short, additional seta absent, postpseudocular seta present ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal side with 3+3 thin, linear microchaetae, ventral side with 1+1 such microchaetae. Rostrum short. Pseudoculus slightly elongated, with short lever, PR 14–16 ( Fig. 4 ). Maxillary gland short, with large, nearly semiglobular calyx, and simple, short and relatively thick posterior filament with irregular posterior dilation, CF 5–6 ( Fig. 3 ). Maxillary palps short; sensilla equal, short, thin and pointed, nearly seta-like ( Fig. 2 ). Labial palps with no terminal tuft, with three setae and short, sausage-like sensillum ( Figs. 6, 7 ). Inner margin of labium smooth.

Figs 10, 15 and 16 — paratype 16.1 b, 11 and 13— paratype 16.1 c, others—holotype. Arrows—pores.

Main setae on nota strongly differentiated ( Fig. 10 ). Setae M and A2 on meso- and metanotum short, thin, hair-like. Seta P2 on mesonotum 1.5–2.3 times longer than P1. Accessory setae P1a and P2a as gemmate microchaetae; P2a nearer to P3 than to P2; P5 as small sensillum ( Figs. 11, 13 ). Seta P4a on metanotum as thin, linear microchaeta ( Fig. 13 ). Mesonotum with pores al and sl, metanotum with pore sl. Setae A2 on thoracal sterna and M2 on prosternum as thin, linear microchaetae (shorter than P4a on metanotum). Thoracal sterna with no pores.

Figs 22 and 24 — paratype 16.1 c, 26— paratype 16.3c, 27 and 28— paratype 16.2a, others—holotype.

Foretarsal sensilla a, c, d short and thin ( Fig. 8 ), d situated close to c (nearly on level of b); b very long (and thicker than the other sensilla), passing base of claw; e, f, g long, thin; t2 of medium length, relatively thick; t3 large ( Fig. 5 ), subequal in length to t1; a’ of medium length, mostly slightly passing base of t2, situated on level of t1; b’ short and thin, situated on level of α 4; c’ of medium length, thin, slightly passing base of claw ( Fig. 9 ). All sensilla parallel – sided. Seta β 1 short and thin, blunt; δ 5 situated proximally to level of c’, as β 1. Length formula of sensilla: t1 <t3 <a’ = b’ <a = c = d = g <t2 <c’ <f <e << b. Claw with no inner tooth, empodial appendage relatively long. BS 0.4–0.5, TR 3.3–3.9, EU about 0.3.

Urotergite I without P1a; P2a of same shape as accessory setae on nota; A5 as a short and thin linear microchaeta. Urotergites II–VI without setae P1a and P3a; another accessory setae as short and thin linear microchaetae ( Fig. 12 ). Urotergite VII with 3 + 3 anterior setae (A2, A4, A5) and 8+8 posterior setae (seta P1a absent, P3a present), accessory setae of same shape as on another tergites, but slightly longer ( Fig. 14 ); seta P4a situated close to P4, of same shape as other accessory setae ( Fig. 15 ). Pore psm present on urotergites I– VIII, psl on VI and VII, al on II–VII: dorsal to A5 on urotergites II–VI, ventral to it on VII.

Abdominal legs with 4, 2, 2, setae; apical seta on legs II and III less than half the length of subapical seta. Accessory setae on urosternites I–VII as that on tergites. Lineation of urosternites distinct, connecting line present. Urosternites I–IV with no pores ( Fig. 16 ). Urosternite V with 1+1 pore situated laterally (close to margin of sternite) on anterior line, and single pore situated asymmetrically between setae Ac and A2 ( Fig. 18 ). Urosternite VI with 1+1 pore situated anterolaterally (as on V), and three pores—two of them are situated asymmetrically on both sides of Ac and the third one, situated asymmetrically, anteriorly to P1 ( Fig. 17 ). Urosternite VII with single pore situated medially, more or less in the middle of sternite ( Fig. 19 ). The distribution of pores is more or less the same in all specimens studied.

Abdominal segment VIII with well developed striate band. Striae on tergite are denser and more differentiated than that on sternite ( Figs. 20, 23 ). Tergite smooth, sternite with traces of row of small, scattered granules. Pore psm with no surrounding teeth, others pores absent. Comb VIII with straight hind margin, composed of 7–9 (mostly 8) small, more or less regular teeth ( Fig. 25 ). Hind margin of tergite, sternite and laterotergite smooth. Urosternite VIII mostly with 4/2 setae, 1a variable ( Fig. 22 ).

Seta 1a on urotergite IX subequal to seta 1, on X shorter ( Fig. 24 ). Seta 2a on urotergites IX and X shorter than the other setae, nearly spine-like. Seta 3 on urotergite X longer and thinner than other setae. Internal anterolateral seta on dorsal lobe of telson distinctly longer than external one ( Fig. 21 ). Segments IX–XI with no pores. Dorsal lobe of telson with single median pore, ventral lobe with 1+1 anterolateral pores. Hind margin of segments IX–XI and telson smooth.

Squama genitalis short ( Fig. 27 ). Acrostyli subapically situated, elongated, with long terminal “spine” (Fig. 28). Penis with 4+4 setae ( Fig. 26 ).

Body measurements (in Μm):

Variability. Chaetotaxy very variable, in most of specimens some irregularities exist. The following anomalies were recorded in 18 imagines studied: pronotum—asymmetrical lack of seta 1 (1 specimen); mesono-tum—asymmetrical lack of A2 (1 sp-n); urotergite I—asymmetrical lack of A2 (2 sp-ns); urotergite IIasymmetrical lack of A1 (1 sp-n); urotergite III—asymmetrical lack of A1 (1 sp-n), P2a asymmetrically in posterior position (1 sp-n); urotergite IV—asymmetrical lack of A2 (1 sp-n); urotergite V—asymmetrical lack of A1 (1 sp-n); urotergite VI—asymmetrical lack of A1 (1 sp-n) and A4 (1 sp-n); urotergite VII—asymmetri-cal lack of P2 (1 sp-n), asymmetrical presence of P2a’ (1 sp-n); prosternum—irregular distribution of setae “ P ” (1 sp-n); mesosternum—asymmetrical lack of P2 (1 sp-n); metasternum—asymmetrical lack of A4 (1 sp- n); urosternite I—symmetrical lack P1a (2 sp-ns); presence of additional seta anteriorly to Ac (1 sp-n); urosternite II—presence of additional seta anteriorly to Ac (2 sp-ns); urosternite III—asymmetrical lack of A2 (1 sp-n) and P2a (1 sp-n); urosternite IV— P1a asymmetrically in anterior position (1 sp-n); urosternite VII— P1a posterior to P1 (1 sp-n); urosternite VIII—asymmetrical lack of seta 1 (1 sp-n), asymmetrical (4 sp-ns) and symmetrical lack of 1a (2 sp-ns); urosternite X—asymmetrical lack of seta 1 (2 sp-ns).

Maturus junior (1 sp-n): urosternite IV—asymmetrical lack of P1a.

Larvae II (2 sp-ns)—chaetal variability not observed.

Variability of porotaxy on urosternite V and VII not observed, on VI lack of one pore or different than in the description distribution of pores was observed in single specimens.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the name of the ancient nation of Sarmatians, who were living in the territory around the type locality.

dorsal ventral a. lateral side of tergite in maturus junior invisible b. in maturus junior: Mc

c. in maturus junior: 0

bold —primary and secondary setae normal—tertiary setae

italic —additionary setae

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Gracilentulus sarmaticus sp. nov. 1 — head, lateral view (arrows—modified setae); 2 — maxillary palp (magnif. as 3); 3 — canal of maxillary gland; 4 — pseudoculus (magnification as 3); 5 — foretarsal sensillum t 3; 6 — labial palp, ventral view (magnif. as 3); 7 — labial palp, lateral view (magnif. as 3); 8 — foretarsus, exterior view; 9 — foretarsus, interior view (magnif. as 8).

FIGURES 10 – 19. Gracilentulus sarmaticus sp. nov. 10 — nota; 11 — anterolateral part of mesonotum; 12 — urotergite VI; 13 — anterolateral part of metanotum (magnif. as 11); 14 — urotergite VII; 15 — accessory seta P 4 a on urotergite VII; 16 — urosternite III (magnif. as 19); 17 — urosternite VI; 18 — urosternite V (magnif. as 19); 19 — urosternite VII.

FIGURES 20 – 27. Gracilentulus sarmaticus sp. nov. 20 — “ striate band ” on urotergite VIII (magnif. as 23); 21 — lateral setae on urotergite XI and X; 22 — urosternite VIII – XI & telson; 23 — “ striate band ” on urosternite VIII; 24 — urotergite VIII – XI & telson (magnif. as 22); 25 — comb VIII; 26 — penis; 27 — female squama genitalis; 28 — acrostyli.