Seira primaria, Godeiro, Nerivania N. & Bellini, Bruno C., 2014

Godeiro, Nerivania N. & Bellini, Bruno C., 2014, Three new species of Seira Lubbock (Collembola, Entomobryidae) from Caatinga Domain, northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 3764 (2), pp. 131-151 : 139-144

Seira primaria sp. nov.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9

Type material. Holotype female, Brazil, Ceará, Crato, Trilha do Picoto, 06.ii. 2011. Bellini, B.C. col. Paratypes 1 male, same data as holotype. Type material deposited at Collembola Collection of DBEZ / UFRN.

Description. Total body length of holotype 1.35 mm. Habitus entomobryid ( Fig. 6 A). Colour of mounted specimens pale yellow with dark blue pigment covering eye patches ( Fig. 6 A). Well-developed mesothorax, projecting the head ventrally ( Fig. 6 A). Rounded brownish scales covering all Ant. I and II, basal halves of Ant. III and IV, head, thorax, abdomen, legs, manubrium (dorsally) and dentes (ventrally). Ventral tube without scales. Ant. IV weakly annulated, with a bilobed apical bulb, several multiciliated setae, some small smooth setae and some blunt s-setae ( Fig. 6 B). Eye patches oval with 8 + 8 lenses, B biggest and H smallest ( Fig. 6 C). Five interocular multiciliated setae, ‘p’ as macrochaeta, ‘q’, ‘r’, ‘s’ and ‘t’ as mesochaetae ( Fig. 6 C). Prelabral and labral setae smooth. Labial triangle ‘M 1 ’, ‘M 2 ’ and ‘E’ ciliate, ‘r’ apparently smooth and reduced ( Fig. 6 D), ‘L 1 ’, ‘L 2 ’ multicilated (not drawn). Trochanteral organ with approximately 20 short spines ( Fig. 6 E). All ungues with four teeth, basally two paired and apically two unpaired ( Figs. 6 F–H). Unguiculi lanceolate, with slightly serrated edges ( Figs. 6 F–H). Tenent hair capitate with slightly serrated posterior edges. Ventral face of manubrium with 4 + 4 subapical setae. No spine-like setae present on the manubrium. Mucro typically falcate ( Fig. 6 I).

Dorsal head chaetotaxy. ‘An’ series with 7 + 7 macrochaetae; one super-numerary microseta between An 3 a and An 3; ‘A’ series lacking A 4; A0, A 2, A 3 and A 5 as macrochaetae; A 1 and two super-numerary setae near A 2 and A 5 as microsetae; ‘M’ series with 5 + 5 setae; M 1, M 2 and M 4 as macrochaetae; M 3 and M 4 i as microsetae; ’S’ series with S0 and 6 + 6 setae as macrochaetae; Interocular series with 5 + 5 setae; p as macrochaeta; q, r, s t as mesochaetae; ‘Ps’ series with 3 + 3 microsetae; Ps 4 absent; ‘Pa’ series with 5 + 5 setae, Pa 4 absent; Pa 1 as microseta; Pa 2, Pa 3 and Pa 5 as macrochaetae; Pa 6 as post ocular trichobothrium; ‘Pm’ series with 2 + 2 setae, Pm 2 absent; Pm 1 as microseta, Pm 3 as macrochaeta; ‘Pp’ series with 4 + 4 microsetae, Pp 4 absent ( Fig. 7).

Dorsal mesothorax chaetotaxy. ‘a’ series (without anterior setal collar) with 6 + 6 setae, a 5 i 2 p absent; a 2 p as microseta; a 5 i 2, a 5 ip, a 5 i, a 5, a 5 p as macrochaetae; ‘m’ series with 13 + 13 setae, m 2 i 2 absent; m 1 i 3, m 1 i 2, m 1 i, m 2 i, m 1, m 2, m 4 i, m 4 p, m 4 as macrochaetae; m 4 ip, m 5, m 5 a and m 5 p as microsetae; m 5 a distant from other ‘m’ series setae, near to a 5 i series (see Soto-Adames 2008); ‘p’ series with 16 + 16 to 17 + 17 setae, p 1 i 2 absent; p 1 i, p 1 i 2 p, p 1, p 1 ip, p 1 p, p 2 a, p 2 p, p 2 e, p 2 ep, p 3 p and p 3 as macrochaetae; p 1 i absent in one specimen; p 2, p 2 ea, p 4, p 5, p 6, p 6 e as microsetae; three super-numerary macrochaetae near p 6 (not drawn–see Soto-Adames 2008) ( Fig. 8 A).

Dorsal metathorax chaetotaxy. ‘a’ series with 8 + 8 setae; a 1 a, a 3, a 4, a 5, a 6, a 7 as microsetae; a 1 and a 2 as macrochaetae; ‘m’ series with 7 + 7 setae; m 1 i, m 1, m 4, m 5, m 6 p and m 7 as microsetae; m 6 as macrochaetae; ‘p’ series with 8 + 8 setae; p 2 ea and p 2 e absent; p 4, p 5, p 6 as microsetae (p 6 appears as macrochaeta in one specimen); p 1 i, p 1, p 2, p 2 a and p 3 as macrochaetae ( Fig. 8 B).

Dorsal Abd. I chaetotaxy. ‘a’ series with 6 + 6 microsetae (a 1, a 1 e, a 2, a 3, a 5, a 6); a 1 a absent; ‘m’ series with 6 + 6 setae; m 4, m 5 and m 6 as microsetae; m 2, m 3 and m 4 i as macrochaetae; ‘p’ series with 2 + 2 microsetae (p 5 and p 6); accessory seta present near a 6 ( Fig. 8 C).

Dorsal Abd. II chaetotaxy. ‘a’ series with 6 + 6 setae, as absent; a 2 p, a 3, a 6 and a 7 as microsetae; a 2 as macrochaetae; a 5 as trichobothrium with 7 + 7 fan shaped scales above it; ‘m’ series with 8 + 8 setae, m 3 ep absent; m 3 ei, m 3 ea, m 6 and m 7 as microsetae; m 3, m 3 e and m 5 as macrochaetae; m 2 as trichobothrium with 4 surrounding fan shaped scales; one super-numerary seta next m 3 ea; ‘p’ series with 3 + 3 setae; p 5 and p 7 as microsetae, p 6 as mesochaeta; el and se setae as microsetae ( Fig. 8 D).

Dorsal Abd. III chaetotaxy. ‘a’ series with 8 + 8 setae; as and a 3 as microsetae; am 6 as macrochaeta; a 1, a 2 and a 6 as fan shaped scales; a 7 as mesochaeta; a 5 as trichobothrium with 5 surrounding fan shaped scales; ‘m’ series with 6 + 6 setae, m 3 ea absent; m 2 as trichobothrium with 4 surrounding fan shaped scales; m 5 as trichobothrium with 5 surrounding fan shaped scales; m 4 as fan shaped scales, m 7 and one super-numerary seta near p 7 as microseta; m 3 as macrochaeta; ‘p’ series with 6 + 6 setae; p 3 and p 5 as microsetae; p 7 i and p 7 as mesochaetae; pm 6 and p 6 as macrochaetae; em, emp and c 3 present as fan shaped scales; se as microsetae; d 2 present as accessory seta, near p 5 ( Fig. 9 A).

Dorsal Abd. IV chaetotaxy. ‘A’ series with 12 + 12 setae, A 2 a absent; A 1, A 2 and Ae 7 as microsetae; A 3 a, A 3, A 4, A 5 and A 6 as macrochaetae; Four super-numerary microsetae, one near A 3, one near A 5 and two between A 5 and A 6; ‘B’ series with 8 + 8 setae, B 4 absent; B 1, B 2, B 6 and two super-numerary setae below B 6 as microsetae; Be 3, B 3 and B 5 as macrochaetae; ‘C’ series with 6 + 6 setae, C 4 a absent; C 1 and C 4 as macrochaetae; C 1 p, C 2, C 3 and a super-numerary seta near C 4 as microsetae; ‘T’ series with 7 + 7 setae, T 6 absent; T 3, T 5 and a supernumerary setae as microsetae; T 1 and T 7 as macrochaetae; T 2 and T 4 as trichobothrium, the first with 4 and the second with 3 surrounding fan shaped scales; ps absent; ‘D’ series with 5 + 5 setae, D 2 a absent; D 1 as fan shaped scale; D 2, D 3 p and a super-numerary seta near T 2 as microsetae; D 3 as trichobothria without surrounding fan shaped scales; ‘E’ series with 6 + 6 setae, E 2 a, E 4 p and E 4 p 2 absent; E 2, E 2 p and E 3 as macrochaetae; E 1 and E 4 as microsetae; Ee 10 present as macrochaetae distant from the line ‘E’, near F 2 p; ‘F’ series with 6 + 6 setae; F 1 p, F 2, F 2 p, F 3 and F 3 p as macrochaetae; F 1 as microseta; ‘Fe’ series with 4 + 4 setae; Fe 5 as macrochaetae; Fe 2, Fe 4 and Fe 6 as microsetae; sequence of 11 setae at the end of the segment ( Fig. 9 B).

Distribution of dorsal macrochaetae of whole body as in Figure 9 C.

Etymology. The species was named for being the first collembolan species described from Chapada do Araripe. From Latin primaria = the first one.

Remarks. Seira primaria sp. nov. has the following combination of features that distinguishes it from other species of Seira : a unique arrangement of macrochaetae in Jacquemart’s cephalic regions 1, 2 and 3; associated to a particular pattern in regions 2 (m 1 i 3, m 1 i 2, m 2 i, m 1 i, m 1 and m 2), 3 B and 3 C (p 2 a, p 2 p, p 2 e, p 2 ep, p 3 p and p 3) of the mesothorax and region C of the metathorax (m 6 and p 6). Seira primaria sp. nov. shows some similarities to two other species of the genus, S. pseudoannulata Bellini & Zeppelini, 2008 b and S. paraibensis Bellini & Zeppelini, 2009 a . The three species have three macrochaetae on Abd. I (m 2, m 3 and m 4 i in the new species, possibly the same on the others) and lack macrochaetae in cephalic region 6. Seira primaria sp. nov. has also in common with S. pseudoannulata similarities in the Jacquemart’s regions 1 B and 3 A of the mesothorax, region B of the metathorax, Abd. II and region B of the Abd. III. A detailed comparison among the cited species of Seira is presented in Tables 2 and 3.The high number of chaetotaxic characters in common between S. primaria sp. nov. and S. paraibensis may be because of their near adjacent distributions and so possibly to common ancestry. Both areas are humid regions of Caatinga (Araripe/CE and Areia/PB, respectively), distant by only 450 km (Bellini & Zeppelini 2009). However, S. pseudoannulata was collected in a coastal region, in remains of Atlantic Rain Forest of Mataraca/PB ( Bellini & Zeppelini 2008 b), while Seira primaria sp. nov. was collected at the beginning of the rainy season, directly from litter. The climate of the area is ‘As’ according to Koeppen system ( Kottek et al. 2006).