Plutomurus, Yosii, 1956

Barjadze, Shalva, Parimuchová, Andrea, Raschmanová, Natália, Maghradze, Eter & Kováč, Ľubomír, 2022, Two new species of Plutomurus Yosii (Collembola: Tomoceridae) from the Caucasus and central Europe, Zootaxa 5169 (3), pp. 252-266 : 264-265

Western Palaearctic Plutomurus

The following 16 Plutomurus species are known from the Western Palaearctic: P. abchasicus , P. baschkiricus , P. birsteini , P. carpaticus , P. eristoi , P. jeleznovodski , P. jordanai , P. kelasuricus , P. kharagauliensis sp. nov., P. ortobalaganensis , P. pichkhaiai , P. revazi , P. ruseki sp. nov., P. shurubumuensis , P. sorosi and P. unidentatus ( Barjadze et al. 2016; 2018; 2020a, b). Here we provide an identification key to Western Palaearctic species of Plutomurus .

Key to species of Plutomurus Yosii from the Western Palaearctic

1 Prelabral chaetae 2+2................................................................................. 2

- Prelabral chaetae 3+3................................................................................ 10

2 Spine-like chaetae on tibiotarsus I, II, and III as 001......................................................... 3

- Spine-like chaetae on tibiotarsus I, II, and III as 002......................................................... 4

3 Eye patch with 4–5 eyes; tenaculum with 1 chaeta........................... P. sorosi ( Russia, North Caucasus: cave)

- Eye patch with 6 eyes; tenaculum with 3–4 chaetae.................... P. jeleznovodski ( Russia, North Caucasus: cave)

4 Dens with very narrow spines........................................... P. baschkiricus ( Russia, Mt Urals: caves)

- Dens with normal spines............................................................................... 5

5 Tenent hair acuminate........................................................... P. abchasicus ( Georgia: soil)

- Tenent hair capitate................................................................................... 6

6 Th. II with 4 Mc (medial & posterior)..................................................................... 7

- Th. II with 5 Mc (medial & posterior)..................................................................... 8

7 Head with 2 postocular Mc; Abd. IV with 3 Mc....................................... P. birsteini ( Georgia: caves)

- Head with 3 postocular Mc; Abd. IV with 6 Mc........................... P. kharagauliensis sp. nov. ( Georgia: cave)

8 Abd. I and IV with 2 and 5 Mc respectively.................................................................................... P. unidentatus ( Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Slovenia: soil & caves)

- Abd. I and IV with 3 and 3 Mc respectively................................................................ 9

9. Head with 1 postocular Mc; Abd. II with 2 Mc... P. carpaticus ( Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania: soil)

- Head with 2 postocular Mc; Abd. II with 3 Mc............................. P. ruseki sp. nov. ( Slovakia: soil & caves)

10 Tenent hair capitate............................................................... P. revazi ( Georgia: caves)

- Tenent hair acuminate................................................................................ 11

11 Spine-like chaetae on tibiotarsus I, II, and III as 002........................................................ 12

- Spine-like chaetae on tibiotarsus I, II, and III as 001........................................................ 14

12 Eyes absent; Th. II with 6 (anterior, medial & posterior) Mc...................... P. ortobalaganensis ( Georgia: caves)

- Eyes present; Th. II with 4 (medial & posterior) Mc........................................................ 13

13 Abd. IV with 1–2 Mc: large lateral and sometimes a second smaller medial Mc......... P. shurubumuensis ( Georgia: cave)

- Abd. IV with 3 Mc: 1 large lateral and 2 smaller medial Mc........................... P. pichkhaiai ( Georgia: caves)

14 Eyes present and distinct; empodium with a large tooth.............. P. kelasuricus (North Caucasus and Georgia: caves)

- Eyes absent or indistinct; empodium with small teeth....................................................... 15 15 Th. II with 5 Mc; one chaeta–like process on the OML is much shorter than others............ P. jordanai ( Georgia: cave)

- Th. II without Mc; all chaeta-like process on the OML normally developed.................... P. eristoi ( Georgia: cave)

* Specimens determined as P. carpaticus from Czech Republic, Ukraine and Romania needs to be reinvestigated.