Seira pseudoannulata, 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 : 49-51

Seira pseudoannulata sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 4 C, 5C)

Type material. Holotype female, Brazil, Paraíba, Mataraca, vi-2006. Zeppelini, D. coll. Paratypes 4 males, 3 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 1.94 mm, other measurements in Table 2 . Habitus typically entomobryid ( Fig. 3 A). Colour of mounted especimens pale grey. Dark blue pigment present on eye patches, cephalic capsule, antennae, meso and metathorax lateral-ventral edges, distal part of abdominal segment IV, coxae and trochanters and in a spot typical for Seira on the forehead. Yellowish rounded scales covering the first two antennal segments and the base of the third antennal segment, head, meso and metathorax, abdomen, coxae and trochanters. Fourth antennal segment annulated, with apical bulb and no pin setae. Eye patches oval, with the largest lens being G and the smallest lens being H ( Fig. 3 F). No interocular macrochaetae observed. Pre-labral and labral setae smooth. Labial triangle seta r normal and feathered. M1, M2 and E feathered ( Fig. 3 B). Trochanteral organ with 24 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 3 C-E). Unguiculi truncate, with smooth edges ( Figs 3 C–E). Tenent hair capitate with smooth edges. Venter of manubrium with six subapical setae. No spine-like setae present on the manubrium. Dorsal macrochaetal distribution on head and body as in fig. 4C. Other characteristics are listed in Table 3 .

Remarks. The presence of annulations on the fourth antennal segment and the truncate unguiculi show the similarity of S. pseudoannulata sp. nov. to S. annulata . Previously S. annulata was the only Neotropical species with these two features combined. The absence in both species of setae on the cephalic region 6 and the presence of one pair of setae in region 5 also reinforces the similarity between both species. However the anterior chaetotaxy of the head of S. pseudoannulata sp. nov., especially in the cephalic region 4, differs greatly from S. annulata . The number of inner teeth in the ungues can also distinguish them. The distribution of macrochaetae on the body differs, especially on mesothorax and abd. IV. Metathorax, abd. I, II and III also have some similarities. The number of macrochaetae on these four segments is given in Table 4 .

Etymology. The species was named after its similarity with S. annulata (Handschin) .

Distribution. Good’s biogeographic zone 27 ( Good 1974).

Habitat. The three new species were found in sand dunes adjacent to the marine littoral zone in Mataraca, Paraíba State, northeastern Brazil. The climate, according to Köppen system ( Kottek et al. 2006), is Am and the mean annual rainfall is 272.8 mm (252.4 during the wet season and 20.4 in the dry season). The mean annual temperature is 26°C (23.7°C during the winter and 27.2°C in summer) ( Rosado 2001). The specimens were collected in sand dunes covered by “Restinga”, the typical littoral vegetation in the study area. The species were found sympatrically with five other species of Seira : S. brasiliana Arlé , S. mirianae Arlé & Guimarães , S. prodiga Arlé , S. xinguensis Arlé ( Table 3 ) and another new species of Seira .

The collections were made in a series of reforestation plots of known ages in an opencast mining area, where heavy metals are extracted from sand dunes. Seira mataraquensis sp. nov. was found in litter in areas with 4 and 8 years of reforestation. In the 8 year-old plots, the vegetation cover is almost totally composed of cashew trees. In this plot only a few specimens of S. mataraquensis sp. nov. were found. Seira . arenicola sp. nov. was found in 2, 4, 8, 16 year-old reforestation plots and in the surrounding original forest. This species appears to be a generalist and was the only species of Seira found in completely exposed sand dunes. Seira pseudoannulata sp. nov. was found only in the leaf litter of the oldest reforestation plots.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Seira pseudoannulata sp. nov. A. habitus; B. all labial triangle setae; C. first foot complex; D. second foot complex; E. third foot complex; 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).