Willowsia pseudosocia Stach, 1965

Zhang, Feng, 2015, Some Willowsia from Nepal and Vietnam (Collembola: Entomobryidae) and description of one new species, Zootaxa 3905 (4), pp. 489-499 : 497

Willowsia pseudosocia Stach, 1965

Figs 33−44

Type locality. Vietnam: Cha-Pa

Specimens examined. Holotype and paratype, both females, Vietnam: Cha-Pa, alt. 1500m, under a piece of bark lying on the ground, 20.iv.1961, A. Bartke leg. All deposited in ISEA.

Redescription. Body length up to 3.0 mm.

Ground colour pale in alcohol. Eye patches dark blue. A narrow stripe present on lateral margin from head to Abd. I. A pair of dark patches on Abd. V ( Fig. 33 ). Scales coarsely striate and leaf-like with tip pointed; scales present on Ant. I but absent on legs ( Fig. 34 ).

Ant. III and IV lost from examined type specimens. Labral papillae rounded. Lateral process of labial palp thin with tip not reaching apex of labial papilla ( Fig. 35 ). Labial chaeta R 0.55 x the length of M ( Fig. 36 ). Dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy with about 12 antennal (An), 4 median (M) and 5 sutural (S) mac. Interocular area with 3 ciliate mic ( Fig. 37 ).

Th. II with 4 (m1, m 1i, m2, m 2i) medio-medial, 3 (m4, m 4i, m4p) medio-lateral and 26‒30 posterior mac. Th. III with 40‒44 mac ( Fig. 38 ). Metatrochanteral organ with about 36 smooth spiny chaetae ( Fig. 39 ). Unguis with 1 outer, 2 lateral and 3 inner teeth, all tiny; inner pair with tip reaching 0.50 distance from base, median one at 0.75 distance from base. Unguiculus lanceolate. Tenent hair shorter than unguis ( Fig. 40 ).

Abd. IV 5.5 times Abd. III in length along dorsal midline. Dorsal mac shown in Fig. 41 . Abd. I with 10 mac. Abd. II with 6 (a2, a3, m3, m3e, m3ea, m3ep) central and 1 (m5) lateral mac. Abd. III with 3 (a2, a3, m3) central and 4 (am6, pm6, p6, m7) lateral mac. Abd. IV with about 17 central and 22 lateral mac. Accessory mic of bothriotrichal complexes on Abd. II‒IV strongly modified with most being transformed into scales ( Fig. 43 ). Ventral tube anteriorly with 3 large ciliate chaetae and many ciliate chaetae of different sizes on each side ( Fig. 42 ); posterior and lateral flap not clearly seen. Distal smooth part of dens 0.5 times mucro in length ( Fig. 44 ).

Remarks. We redescribed W. pseudosocia based on types and gave additional details of the dorsal cephalic and body chaetotaxy, interocular chaetae, labial chaetae, lateral process of labial palp, anterior face of ventral tube and trochanteral organ. This species is most similar to W. nivalis Yosii, 1971 from Nepal in colour (pale on dorsal body), scale sculpture, labral chaetae and labral papillae, claw structure, modified accessory mic of bothriotrichal complexes, 3+3 inner mac on Abd. III. It differs from W. nivalis in having lateral stripes on Th. II‒Abd. I, scales present on antennae, more numerous spine-like chaetae (>40) on trochanteral organ and tergal mac obviously more abundant (such as 10+10 on Abd. I, 6+6 inner on Abd. II). Many undescribed Willowsia species from the Chinese region (Guangdong, Guangxi, Tibet Provinces) adjacent to Vietnam and Nepal have been discovered during recent expeditions. It is necessary to re-examine those known species for the further comparison and systematic revision.

Figures

FIGURES 33 – 44. W. pseudosocia: 33, habitus; 34, body scales; 35, lateral process of labial palp; 36, submentum of labium; 37, dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy; 38, thoracic chaetotaxy; 39, trochanteral organ; 40, hind claw; 41, abdominal chaetotaxy; 42, anterior face of ventral tube; 43, accessory mic of bothriotrichal complexes on Abd. III; 44, mucro.