Seira semicaerulea, Cipola & Morais & Bellini, 2018

Cipola, Nikolas Gioia, Morais, José Wellington De & Bellini, Bruno Cavalcante, 2018, Three new species of Seira Lubbock (Collembola, Entomobryidae, Seirinae) from Madagascar with Lepidocyrtus - like habitus, Zootaxa 4524 (2), pp. 151-173 : 159-165

Seira semicaerulea sp. nov. Cipola & Bellini

Figs 7–11 , 17 , Table 1

Diagnosis. Body with irregular dark pigments on Th III–Abd IV ( Fig. 7 ); clypeal chaetae l2 not acuminate; outer labral papillae subequal to inner; labial papilla E with lateral process finger-shaped ( Fig. 8A ); dorsal head with S3 mac, A5 and M1 as mic; postlabial chaetae G2–3 thin and smaller than G1 and G4 ( Figs 8 B–C); Th III–Abd II with 11, 2, 0 and 3 central mac, respectively; Abd IV with 8 central mac and 13 lateral mac, without mes group ( Figs 9 , 10B ); unguiculus truncate; collophore anteriorly with 7 proximal spine-like chaetae, posteriorly with 3 spines lacking smooth chaetae; manubrium ventrally with 2/4 subapical chaetae; manubrial plate without blunt chaetae ( Figs 11 E–H).

Type material. Holotype female in slide (54361/ CAS): Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Province, Haute Matsiatra Region, Ambalavao municipality, Anja Community Reserve , 22°43.23'S, 46°15.47'E ( Fig. 17 ), isleberg vegetation, 1097 m, 12–18.vi.2012, Malaise-trap, M Irwin & R Harin'Hala coll. Paratypes in slide (54361/ CAS): 2 males and 2 females, same data as holotype . Paratype in slide (061/ INPA): 1 male, same data as holotype, except 17–24.i.2013 .

Description. Total length (head+trunk) of specimens 1.94–2.90 mm (n=4), holotype 2.90 mm. Specimens pale white, females with navy blue speckled pigment on Th II to Abd III, in males such segments weakly pigmented or depigmented, both sexes with pigments on all Abd IV, and distal half of femur III; Ant III–IV orange or depigmented; eyepatches black ( Figs 7 A–B). Scales present from Ant I to two basal thirds of Ant III, all head, thorax and abdomen, legs (except empodia), anterior collophore, both side of the manubrium and dentes ventrally.

Head. Ratio antennae:trunk =1: 1.77–1.96 (n =4), holotype 1: 1.96; antennal segments ratio as I: II: III: IV =1: 1.44–1.61: 1.52–1.76: 1.93–2.51, holotype 1: 1.48: 1.57: 1.93. Ant IV not annulated, with apical bulb apically bilobed. Ant III distally with 2 apical sensory rods alongated, 3 guard sens, some blunt sens of different sizes and ciliate chaetae. Clypeal formula with 4 (l1–2), 2 (f), 3 (pf0–1) ciliate chaetae, l1–2 larger, l1 apically acuminate, frontal chaetae gently smaller. Four labral papillae apically pointed and subequal. Labial papilla E with lateral process (l.p.) finger-shaped and exceeding the base of the papilla ( Fig. 8A ). Maxillary palp with smooth apical appendage (a.a.) and basal chaeta (b.c.) weakly ciliated, thicker and 1.34 longer than the apical. Eyes A and B larger, G and H smaller, with 5 interocular chaetae (q, s, p, r, t); head dorsal chaetotaxy ( Fig. 8B ) with 10 ‘An’ (An1a–3, An2a mic present), 3 ‘A’ (A4 mic absent), 1 ‘M’ (M4), 2 ‘S’ mac (S3, S6), and 1 ‘Pa’ (Pa5) mac. Ventral chaetotaxy with about 14 ciliate chaetae, postlabial formula 4, 2 (H2 absent), 4 chaetae, G2–3 thin and smaller; basal chaeta (b.c.) largest ( Fig. 8C ).

Thorax chaetotaxy ( Figs 9 A–B). Th II a, m and p series with 4 (a 5i 2–5p), 4 (m1, m2– 2i, m4) and 3 (p1–3) mac, respectively; apex distally with numerous mic and scales interspersed. Th III a, m and p series with 0, 1 (m6) and 2 (p2–3) mac, respectively; p2ea mic present. Ratio Th II:III=1.97–1.80: 1 (n=4), holotype 1.97: 1.

Abdomen chaetotaxy ( Figs 9 C–D, 10A–C). Abd I without mac, a, m and p series with 5 (a1–3, a5–6), 5 (m2– 6) and 2 (p5–6) mic, respectively, m 4i absent. Abd II a, m and p series with 1 (a2), 3 (m3–3e, m5) and 0 mac, respectively, m3ep mic present, a2p absent. Abd III a, m and p series with 0–1 (a7), 3 (m3, am6, pm6) and 1–2 (p6–7) mac, respectively, p3 mic present, a2 absent. Abd IV with 8 central mac of A–T series (A3–5, B3–6, C1, as in Fig. 5B ) and 13 lateral mac of E–Fe series (E2–3, E4p, Ee10, F1–3, Fe3–5); 7 sens (ps type I, others type II) and 8 posterior mes present. Abd V a, m and p series with 1 (a5), 4 (m2–3, m5–5e) and 5 (p1, p3–6) mac, respectively. Ratio Abd III:IV =1: 3.47–4.87 (n=4), holotype 1: 3.72.

Legs. Subcoxa I with 5 chaetae and 2 psp; subcoxa II with an anterior row of 11 chaetae, posterior row of 4 chaetae and 2 psp; subcoxa III with one row of 11 chaetae and 2 posterior psp ( Figs 11 A–C). Trochanteral organ with about 39 spine-like chaetae ( Fig. 11D ). Tibiotarsus III generally subdivided on distal two thirds. Unguis with basal and median teeth with the same length, apical tooth minute and sometimes absent. Unguiculus with ai lamellae truncate, others acuminate, all lamellae smooth (ai, ae, pi, pe); ratio unguis:unguiculus=1: 0.58. Tibiotarsus III distally with one inner smooth chaeta 1.29 larger than unguiculus; tenent hair capitate, finely ciliate, and 0.88 smaller than unguis outer edge ( Figs 11 E–F).

Collophore ( Fig. 11G ). Anterior side with 15 chaetae, basally 7 spine-like chaetae, 1 thin mic, 2 inner mic and 2 long ciliate chaetae apically acuminate, distally with 2 mac and 1 long ciliate chaetae apically acuminate (as in Fig. 6E ); posterior side distally with 4 chaetae per side, 3 reduced spine and 1 ciliate chaeta; lateral flap with 5 smooth and 14 ciliate chaetae.

Furcula ( Fig. 11H ). Manubrium ventrally with formula 1, 2, 2, 2/4 (subapical), 18 (apical) ciliate chaetae and approximately 18 elongated apical scales per side; manubrial plate with 8 ciliate chaetae of different sizes and 3 psp (as in Fig. 6G ). Furcula lacking blunt chaetae.

Etymology. Refers to the irregular blue color over the body of the new species (from Latin: semi— half and caeruleo— bluish) ( Figs 7 A–B).

Figures

FIGURE 5A–C. Seira lepidochaetosa sp. nov.: dorsal chaetotaxy; A, Abd III; B, Abd IV; C, Abd V.

FIGURE 6A–G. Seira lepidochaetosa sp. nov.: A, subcoxa I; B, subcoxa II; C, subcoxa III; D, trochanteral organ; E, collophore chaetotaxy (lateral view); F, manubrium ventral chaetotaxy; G, manubrial plate (dorsal view).\

FIGURE 7A–B. Seira semicaerulea sp. nov.: habitus of specimens fixed in alcohol (lateral view); A, female; B, male. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 8A–C. Seira semicaerulea sp. nov.: head; A, labial papilla E (right side), l.p. is lateral process; B, dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy; C, postlabial and cephalic groove chaetotaxy (right side), b.c. is basal chaeta.

FIGURE 9A–D. Seira semicaerulea sp. nov.: dorsal chaetotaxy; A, Th II; B, Th III; C, Abd I; D, Abd II.

FIGURE 10A–C. Seira semicaerulea sp. nov.: dorsal chaetotaxy; A, Abd III; B, Abd IV laterally; C, Abd V.

FIGURE 11A–H. Seira semicaerulea sp. nov.: A, subcoxa I; B, subcoxa II; C, subcoxa III; D, trochanteral organ; E, distal tibiotarsus and empodial complex III (anterior view); F, empodial complex III, inner view of ungues, distal view of unguiculus; G, collophore posterior chaetotaxy and lateral flap (lateral view); H, manubrium ventral chaetotaxy.

FIGURE 17. Records of the new species of Seira from Madagascar.