Pseudachorutes vitalii, Kaprus’, Ighor J. & Weiner, Wanda M., 2009

Kaprus’, Ighor J. & Weiner, Wanda M., 2009, The genus Pseudachorutes Tullberg, 1871 (Collembola, Neanuridae) in the Ukraine with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 2166, pp. 1-23 : 5-7

Pseudachorutes vitalii sp. nov.

Figs 11–21, 84

Description. Body length without antennae 1.70–2.10 mm. Colour bluish-grey (on slides), ocular plate bluish-black. Tegumental granulation coarse, dense and uniform.

Antennae approximately as long as the head. Ant. I with 7 setae, Ant. II with 11 setae and Ant. III with 20 ordinary setae. Ant. III and IV fused dorsally, ventral separation well marked. Sensory organ of Ant. III consisting of two small, oval sensilla, two subcylindrical guard sensilla (ventral sensillum as long as dorsal one) and two guard setae between them; ventral microsensillum present. Ant. IV with about 40 ordinary setae, 9–10 modified setae in ventro-apical part and 6 distinct subcylindrical sensilla; dorsoexternal microsensillum and subapical organite present; apical vesicle trilobed ( Figs 12–13).

PAO oval with 17–22 vesicles, 1.5–1.9 times larger than ocellus B ( Fig. 15). 8 + 8 eyes. Buccal cone short. Mandible fork-like, styliform maxilla with two lamellae, one of them with tiny apical hook ( Figs 16, 17). Labral formula: 4 /2,3,4 ( Fig. 84). Labium with 12 + 12 ordinary setae, no apical organite x, but an internal stylet visible near apex ( Fig. 14). Perilabial area with 4 + 4 subequal setae. The central granulated area on head between d 3 –d 5 setae as in Fig. 19.

Dorsal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 11 with short setae and with longer sensory setae s. Formula per half tergum as: 022/ 11111. Microsensilla on Th. II present. Head with unpaired seta d 1 and without seta a0. Th. I with 3 + 3 setae. Th. II and III with 10 + 10 setae (a 2, a 5 and m 4 setae absent). Abd. I–III with 9 + 9 setae (m 4 setae present and a 3 seta absent), Abd. IV with 14–15 + 14 setae (a 2, a 4, m 4, m 5 and m 6 setae present), seta s = seta p 5. Abd. V with a 2 and p 2 setae and s = p 3.

Ventral chaetotaxy: thoracic sterna without setae, VT with 3 + 3 setae, Abds. II–VI as in Fig. 21. Abds. I without setae, Abds. II with 3 + 3 setae, Abds. III with 6–7 + 6–7 setae.

Dens with six setae ( Fig. 20). Mucro boat-shaped, with curved ventral edge and one broad lateral lamella. Manubrium with 12 + 12 setae. Tenaculum with 3 + 3 teeth. Each anal valve with two setae hr ( Fig. 21).

Tibiotarsi I, II and III with 18, 18 and 17 setae, respectively, setae M and B 7 absent on tibiotarsus III ( Fig. 18). Femora I, II and III with 13, 12 and 11 setae, trochanters I, II and III with 6, 6 and 6 setae, coxae I, II and III with 3, 6 and 7 setae, subcoxae 2 of legs I, II and III with 0, 2 and 2 setae, subcoxae 1 of legs I, II and III with 1, 2 and 2 setae, respectively. Claw with a strong tooth near middle of inner edge and a pair of strong lateral teeth in basal part ( Fig. 18). Empodial appendage absent.

Type material. Holotype: female (on slide), Ukraine, Crimea, near Jalta town, beech forest, 1000 m alt., leaf litter, 15.VII. 2007, leg. A. Chaustov. Paratypes: 2 males and 2 females (on slides), the same data as holotype; 2 females (on slide), Ukraine, Crimea, near Jalta town, Jaltynsky Reserve, pine forest, 1200 m alt., soil and litter, 11.IX. 1997, leg. I. Kaprus’. The material is preserved in the following collections: holotype, 4 paratypes (1 male and 3 females) in SNHMU; 2 paratypes (1 male and 1 female) in ISEA.

Other material examined. 1 male (on slide), Ukraine, Crimea, near Planers’ke village, Koktebel’ Mt., biological station, garden, leaf litter, 24.VII. 1994, leg. M. Potapov; 1 female (on slide), Ukraine, Crimea, near Shchebetovka village, Spliacha Krasunia ridge, beech and oak forest, leaf litter, 27.VI. 1994, leg. M. Potapov; 1 male and 8 juveniles (on slides), Ukraine, Crimea, Karadag Reservation, beech and oak forest, leaf litter, 26.VI. 1994, leg. M. Potapov.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Vitalyj I. Kaprus’, senior son of one of authors.

Biology. Pseudachorutes vitalii sp. nov. has been collected in mountain forest of Crimea Peninsula. Bisexual.

Discussion. The same type of chaetotaxy of head, Ant. IV, Th. II–III, labrum, labium, abdominal sternites, VT, tibiotarsi and furca, the shape of maxillae and mandibles, the presence of lateral teeth on claws indicate a close relationship between P. vitalii sp. nov. and P. dubius Krausbauer, 1898 (see Table 1). These species differ distinctly in number of setae on Th. I and chaetotaxy of Abd. I–V (setae a 6 on Abd. I–III, setae a 3, a 4, m 5 on Abd. IV and setae a 2 on Abd. V present in P. vitalii , these setae absent in P. dubius ).