Seira Lubbock, 1870

Cipola, Nikolas Gioia, Morais, José Wellington De & Bellini, Bruno Cavalcante, 2018, Three new species of Seira Lubbock (Collembola, Entomobryidae, Seirinae) from Madagascar with Lepidocyrtus - like habitus, Zootaxa 4524 (2), pp. 151-173 : 152

Genus Seira Lubbock, 1870

The following characters are shared by Seira species and are not repeated in the descriptions:

Scales heavily ciliate, oval or elongated and apically rounded (rarely truncate, pointed or irregular) present on body; mac heavily ciliate apically, strongly or lightly foot-shaped or acuminate; head mic ciliate, tergal mic smooth and apically ramificate or simple ( Fig. 1 ).

Habitus Lepidocyrtus -like with projected Th. II anterior hood; antennae shorter than the trunk length ( Figs 2 , 7 , 12 ), Ant I–IV with several blunt sens of different sizes plus ciliate chaetae. Eyes 8+8 ( Figs 3E , 8B , 13C ). Four prelabral ciliate chaetae; labral formula with 4 (a1–2), 5 (m0–2), 5 (p0–2) smooth chaetae, a1 thicker, p0–1 larger. Labial palp with five main papillae (A–E) plus one hypostomal papilla (H) with 0,5, 0,4, 4,2 guard appendages, respectively; labium with five smooth proximal chaetae. Basolateral and basomedian labial fields with chaetae a1– 5 smooth, M1–2, E, L1–2 ciliate, r reduced. Sublobal plate with three smooth chaetae.

Th II–Abd V with ms and sens formula 1,0|1,0,1,0,0 and 1, 1|0,2,2, +,3, respectively ( Figs 4–5 ); Abd II–IV bothriotrichal formula 2 (a5, m2), 3 (a5, m2, m5), 3 (T2, T4, D3) ( Figs 4D , 5 A–B); bothriotricha with accessory lance-shaped chaetae ( Fig. 1 ).

Pretarsi with one minute smooth chaeta on both sides; ungues inner side with 4 teeth, 2 paired basal teeth, 1 unpaired median and 1 unpaired apical; outer side with 2 paired lateral teeth and one median lamella apically pointed ( Figs 11 E–F, 16E).

Mucro falcate, without basal spine.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Symbols used to dorsal chaetotaxy description of Seira species.

FIGURE 2. Seira lepidochaetosa sp. nov.: habitus of specimen fixed in alcohol (lateral view). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 3A–F. Seira lepidochaetosa sp. nov.: head; A, Ant III apical organ (lateral view); B, clypeal chaetotaxy; C, labial papilla E (right side), l.p. is lateral process; D, labral papillae; E, dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy; F, postlabial and cephalic groove chaetotaxy (right side), b.c. is basal chaeta.

FIGURE 4A–D. Seira lepidochaetosa sp. nov.: dorsal chaetotaxy; A, Th II; B, Th III; C, Abd I; D, Abd II.

FIGURE 5A–C. Seira lepidochaetosa sp. nov.: dorsal chaetotaxy; A, Abd III; B, Abd IV; C, Abd V.

FIGURE 7A–B. Seira semicaerulea sp. nov.: habitus of specimens fixed in alcohol (lateral view); A, female; B, male. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 8A–C. Seira semicaerulea sp. nov.: head; A, labial papilla E (right side), l.p. is lateral process; B, dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy; C, postlabial and cephalic groove chaetotaxy (right side), b.c. is basal chaeta.

FIGURE 11A–H. Seira semicaerulea sp. nov.: A, subcoxa I; B, subcoxa II; C, subcoxa III; D, trochanteral organ; E, distal tibiotarsus and empodial complex III (anterior view); F, empodial complex III, inner view of ungues, distal view of unguiculus; G, collophore posterior chaetotaxy and lateral flap (lateral view); H, manubrium ventral chaetotaxy.

FIGURE 12A. Seira metafemurata sp. nov.: habitus of specimen fixed in alcohol (lateral view). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 13A–C. Seira metafemurata sp. nov.: head; A, Ant III apical organ (lateral view); B, clypeal chaetotaxy; C, dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy.