Seira mataraquensis, Bellini, Bruno Cavalcante & Zeppelini, Douglas, 2008

Bellini, Bruno Cavalcante & Zeppelini, Douglas, 2008, Three new species of Seira Lubbock (Collembola, Entomobryidae) from Mataraca, Paraíba State, Brazil, Zootaxa 1773, pp. 44-54 : 45-47

Seira mataraquensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 4 A)

Type material. Holotype male, mounted on the same slide with one female specimen of S. prodiga . Brazil, Paraíba, Mataraca, vi-2006. Zeppelini, D. coll. Paratypes 2 females, Brazil, Paraíba, Mataraca, vi-2006. Zeppelini, D. coll. Material deposited in the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro (CM/ MNRJ).

Description. Total length of the holotype 1.22 mm, other measurements in Table 2 . Habitus typically entomobryid ( Fig. 1 A). Colour of mounted specimens pale grey. Dark blue pigment present on eye patches, antennae, lateral-ventral edges of meso and metathorax, lateral edges of abdominal segment IV, coxae and trochanters and a spot on the forehead typical for Seira . Yellowish rounded scales covering the first, second and the base of the third antennal segments, head, meso and metathorax, abdomen, coxae and trochanters. Fourth antennal segment not annulated, with an apical bulb and no pin setae. Eye patches oval, with the largest lens being A and the smallest lens being D ( Fig. 1 F). No interocular macrochaetae. Pre-labral and labral setae smooth. Labial triangle seta r absent. M1, M2 and E feathered ( Fig. 1 E). Trochanteral organ with 14 spine-like setae, arranged in two rows. Pro, meso and meta ungues with four inner teeth, one pair at the base and two unpaired teeth at the apex ( Figs 1 B-D). Unguiculi acuminate, with smooth edges ( Figs 1 B-D). Tenent hair capitate with smooth edges. Venter of manubrium with three subapical setae. No spine-like setae present on the manubrium. Dorsal macrochaetal distribution on head and body as in fig. 4A. Other characters are listed in Table 3 .

Remarks. The head chaetotaxy of S. mataraquensis sp. nov is similar to that of S. prodiga (Arlé) . They differ by the absence of macrochaetae in cephalic region 5 in S. mataraquensis sp. nov. while S. prodiga has one pair, and in cephalic region 4D, where S. mataraquensis sp. nov. has two macrochaetae and S. prodiga has only one. The chaetotaxy of the second and third abdominal of both species is also similar but it differs on the remaining segments. The typical large setae in the inner surface of the dens of S. prodiga is absent in S. mataraquensis sp. nov. The dorsal head macrochaetae distribution of S. mataraquensis sp. nov. resembles that of S. blanca Mari Mutt , but the latter has macrochaetae in cephalic regions 5 and 6 while S. mataraquensis sp. nov. does not. Cephalic region 4 also differs by the presence of more macrochaetae in S. mataraquensis sp. nov. Both species are similar in the labial triangle chaetotaxy, since they lack r seta and M1, M2 and E setae are feathered. Ungues and unguiculi are also similar, with the same shape and number of teeth. Both species differ in the arrangement of setae on metathorax and the number of setae on the first abdominal segment (4+ 4 in S. mataraquensis sp. nov and 5+ 5 in S. blanca ). Finally, both were collected in marine littoral habitats (see Mari Mutt 1986).

Etymology. The species is named after type locality, Mataraca, PB. Distribution. Good’s biogeographic zone 27 ( Good 1974).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Seira mataraquensis sp. nov. A. habitus; B. first foot complex; C. second foot complex; D. third foot complex; E. all labial triangle setae; F. left eye patch.

FIGURE 4. Macrochaetae distribution of: A. S. mataraquensis sp. n.; B. S. arenicola sp. n.; C. S. pseudoannulata sp. n. Schematic representations according to Christiansen & Bellinger (2000) modified from Jacquemart (1974).

Tables

TABLE 2. Comparison of lengths of segments of the body of three new Seira species. Ant. = Antenna Segment; Abd. = Abdominal Segment; C. D. = Cephalic Diagonal. Measurements were taken from holotypes. * conversion rate to µm = x 10.

Segments	S. mataraquensis	S. arenicola	S. pseudoannulata
Ant. IV	23	22	35
Ant. III	15	14	21
Ant. II	11	12	17
Ant. I	5	7	11
Head length	23	25	33
Head (C. D.)	27	28	36
Mesothorax	11	14	21
Metathorax	9	11	14
Abd. I	6	8	10
Abd. II	7	9	11
Abd. III	9	10	15
Abd. IV	33	38	50
Abd. V	5	9	10
Abd. VI	2	3	4
Manubrium	24	25	31
Dens	27	31	40
Mucro	1	1	3