Entomobrya kitchingi sp. nov.

(Figs 2D, 22 A–F)

Holotype. Female, QLD, Lamington N.P, O’Reillys Resort, - 28.2342°S, 153.1363°E, 1000m asl, canopy fogging, Jan. 1990, R. Kitching leg. [SAMA 22651].

Description. Size. Length 2.179 mm.

Colour cleared, presumably dark blue.

Head. Eight eyes, G and H smaller in size than E and F. Antennal length 1397 μm, 2.6 times the length of the head. Ant IV with bilobed apical vesicle; relative length of Ant segments: 1/1.94/1.66/1.9. Sensory organ of Ant III as figure 22B. Labium with posterior row with MREL 1 L 2 ciliated chaetae, R 172 than M. Four prelabral chaeta smooth and small (0.017 mm), labral chaetae smooth 5, 5, and 4. Labral papillae smooth.

Thorax and abdomen. Ratio lengths of Abd IV/III=3.3. Tibiotarsus without differentiated chaetae, with exception of the smooth terminal chaetae on legs 3, characteristic for the genus. Trochanteral organ with near 30 chaetae. Unguis (Fig. 22F) with 4 teeth, paired teeth at 33% of the base, first unpaired tooth at 75 % from the base; lateral and dorsal teeth basal at a level below the internal paired teeth. Unguiculus acuminated, narrow, external lamella of leg 3 smooth, serrate on legs 1 and 2, with 10 minute teeth. Tenent hair clavate, same size or shorter than unguis. Manubrial plate with 4 chaetae and 2 pseudopores. Mucro bidentate, both teeth of similar size with mucronal basal spine, Mucro of 20 μm and smooth distal part of dens twice the length mucro.

Macrochaetotaxy. Simplified Mc formula: 3,1,0,1(2),1a/0,2/1,2/1,0,1/0,2,0,2,2. Head chaetotaxy (Fig. 22A) An 2, An 3a1, An 3 and A 5 Mc. Only M 2 and M 4 present as Mc. Sutural row present S 0, S 2, S 3, S 4i (present or absent), S 4, S 5i and S 5. Only Ps 5 present. Thoracic chaetotaxy of Th II (Fig. 22C) only with Mc a 5 and m 4. Abdominal chaetotaxy (Fig. 22D): of Abd II with a 3, m 3 and m 3e; on Abd III a 1 and m 3 Mc present; Abd IV (Fig. 22E) with Mc A 3, A 5 –A 6, E 1, B 5 –B 6. Sensillary formula as normal for Entomobrya . The bothriotricha on Abd IV in position T 2 and T 4 (0110).

Remarks. Only one adult specimen was available of unknown colour but the chaetotaxy is unique for an Entomobrya . The chaetotaxy of Abd II and III (1,2/1,0,1) and 12 Mc on central part of Abd IV are similar to some European species: E. boneti Jordana & Baquero, 2006, E. pusilla Latzel, 1918, E. schulzi Jordana & Baquero, 2011, E. albocincta Templeton, 1835 and E. marginata (Tullberg, 1871) . The chaetotaxy of Th II (0, 2 Mc) of E, kitchingi sp. nov. differs at (2, 3 Mc) for the three first cited species and from the 2, 4 Mc of E, marginata .

Etymology. Named for Professor Roger Kitching who made, with his team, numerous collections of Collembola from Lamington National Park.