Coletinia serrata Mendes, Molero-Baltanás, Bach de Roca & Gaju-Ricart, 2022

Molero-Baltanás, Rafael, Gaju-Ricart, Miquel, Fišer, Žiga, Bach de Roca, Carmen & Mendes, Luís F., 2022, Three new species of European Coletinia Wygodzinsky (Zygentoma, Nicoletiidae), with additional records and an updated identification key, European Journal of Taxonomy 798 (1), pp. 127-161 : 143-148

Coletinia serrata Mendes, Molero-Baltanás, Bach de Roca & Gaju-Ricart sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0C4AC44D-C343-42B7-BCC6-AB6B31F6456D

Figs 9 –11

Diagnosis

Insect subcylindrical and yellowish, body 8 mm long. Pedicels of male antennae with asymmetrical apophyses; the left apophysis is bigger and similar to that of C. tinauti , subcylindrical and with the apex modified bearing a laminar expansion that shows a denticulated margin (with high magnification). Right apophysis smaller, about ⅔ of the left one, without a visible glandular seta. All tibiae with one lateral small spine. Male urotergite X with 3+ 4 pegs. Male VIIIth urosternite with a slightly convex (almost straight) hind margin. Paramera 5.5 times longer than wide. Cerci without pegs, each one with a series of 3 basal short acute spines, all of them in the second division. Female unknown.

Coletinia serrata sp. nov. from the region of Alentejo (southern Portugal) can be included in the group of species with asymmetrical antennae in males, where the left pedicellar apophysis is more developed than the right one. Inside this group, the remaining species show a stronger difference in size between both apophyses, because the right one is much reduced. For example, in C. asymetrica Bach de Roca, Mendes & Gaju Ricart, 1985 the left apophysis is about 10 times longer than the right one. The difference of size is similar in C. herculea or C. vergitana Molero, Barranco, Bach & Gaju, 2013 , but in these two species subadult specimens show a more symmetric apophysis ( Molero et al. 2013). Nevertheless, the studied specimen of C. serrata is clearly an adult, as indicated by the modified pegs of the terminal filaments and the tenth urotergite. In subadults of C. herculea and C. vergitana the glandular seta of the apex of the apophysis is developed in both apophyses, but in C. serrata this seta is strongly reduced in the right apophysis. Moreover, the shape and projections of the apophyses of asymmetrical species are different to C. serrata ; the left apophysis of C. serrata is more like that of C. dextra sp. nov. or those of C. mendesi or C. tinauti , species with symmetric antennae, although the denticulation of the lamellar subapical expansion of the apophysis is not so clearly denticulated as in C. serrata .

Only one species of the genus Coletinia , C. dextra sp. nov. from Andalusia ( Spain), described in this work, shows its right pedicellar apophysis more developed than the left one. The different chirality of antennal apophyses is not the only difference between C. dextra and C. serrata sp. nov., although more differences could be provided when females of both species were found. The metatibiae of the Spanish species have 2 dorsal spines (only one in the Portuguese species), the number of discal setae of the tenth urotergite is higher in the Spanish species, the shape of the hind margin of the VIIIth urosternite is different and the number of spiniform pegs in terminal filaments is higher in C. dextra .

Coletinia serrata sp. nov. perhaps represents the first step of the evolution of species of Coletinia with symmetrical antennae to those, as C. asymetrica and other species described from the Southern Iberian Peninsula, that have a vestigial right pedicel.

Etymology

The specific name ‘ serrata ’ refers to the denticulate margin of the lamellar expansion of the left pedicellar apophysis, character that has only been observed in this species.

Material examined

Holotype PORTUGAL • ♂; Alentejo , Santa Margarida do Sado; 38º06′ N, 08º21′ W; 15 May 2007; A. Serrano leg.; MUHNAC, CZ-5646 , mounted on slide.

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Body length: 8 mm. Body width: 1.5 mm.Antennae broken; maximum length preserved: 3.5 mm. Body subcylindrical, yellowish, devoid of scales.

BODY. Head with scarce thin setae and some bifid macrochaetae; frons and clypeus as in Fig. 9A .Antennae asymmetric ( Fig. 9B–C ). The apophysis of the right pedicel is reduced, subcylindrical without a defined apical glandular seta, about 0.45 times as wide as the pedicel and about 3 times longer than wide (iL/W = 3.2; oL/W = 2.6); its apex reaches the second division of the flagellum. Left apophysis bigger ( Fig. 9D ), reaching the fourth division of the flagellum, subcylindrical, with a lamellar expansion in its apical part that shows its distal margin denticulated (with high magnification; see Fig. 9E ). A glandular seta is inserted in the apical part of the apophysis, over the lamellar expansion. This left apophysis is about 0.7 times as wide as the pedicel and about 3 times longer than wide (iL/W = 3.5; oL/W = 2.5). The left apophysis is about 1.4 times longer than and 1.5 times as wide as the right one (considering the inner length in dorsal view; see Fig. 9C ). Maxillary palps with a lot of basiconic sensilla on the distal article ( Fig. 9F ) and in the apical part of the penultimate. The distal article is about 4.7 times longer than wide and 1.35 times longer than the penultimate ( Fig. 9G ). Labial palps typical of Nicoletiidae ( Fig. 10A ), the last article with 3 basiconic sensilla in the inner side of the basal part and a row of 5 basiconic sensilla in the outer side.

THORAX. Thoracic segments. Typical of the genus, with small setae covering the disc of the nota, their length about 1/12 to 1/6 times as long as the segment.

LEGS. Protibiae about 3.6 times longer than wide, with 2 dorsal, 1 lateral and 4 ventral acute spines ( Fig. 10B ). Mesotibiae about 4.3 times longer than wide, with the same number of spines than protibiae ( Fig. 10C ). Metatibiae almost 1.6 times longer than protibiae and 4.7 times longer than wide, with 1 dorsal, 1 lateral and 4 ventral spines ( Fig. 10D ). Ventral spines of all tibiae about as long as the width of the tibiae or slightly shorter.

ABDOMEN. Urotergites covered with thin setae that are 1/5–1/8 times as long as the tergite ( Fig. 10E ). Tenth urotergite as in Fig. 11A , with the hind margin concave and almost straight in the bottom of the concavity. Its posterolateral lobes show a low number of pegs, 3 on the right side and 4 on the left side ( Fig. 11B ). The apical peg of each lobe is bigger than the others. The disc of the urotergite shows 4 setae. Urosternites II–VIII entire and covered with thin setae, bearing one pair of styli and coxal vesicles; their hind margin with 1 +1 submedian and 1+ 1 sublateral (placed close to the insertion of the styli) short bifid macrosetae; moreover, 1+1 discal short macrosetae are present ( Fig. 11C ). Urosternite VIII somewhat protruding posteriorly, with its hind margin convex, almost straight ( Fig. 11D ).

MALE GENITALIA. Paramera cylindrical, about 5.5 times longer than wide ( Fig. 11E ), their distal part as in Fig. 11F.

TERMINAL FILAMENTS. Broken, only their basal part preserved (about 1.5 mm in the paracercus and one cercus). Both cerci bear 3 acute and short spines on their inner side, all of them in the second division and about 4.5–5.5 times longer than wide; their formula is C2(1[1id]+ 2[1id] +3[id]), corresponding to Fig. 11G . The paracercus has one peg in the basal division, one peg in the first ring of setae of the second division and one peg that can be considered as a slightly modified pigmented spine in the third ring of setae, as shown in Fig. 11H ; formula P1 (1[d]) +P2 (1[d]+ 3[d]). The peg on the basal division and the first one of the second division are about 5–6 times longer than their higher width, the spine in the third ring of setae is about 9.5 times longer than wide.

Habitat

The only known specimen of Coletinia serrata sp. nov. was found under a schist stone. This circumstance is similar to what has been commented for C. dextra , probably the usual habitat of these species is more subterranean. Nevertheless, specifying an ecological classification to the species described in this work does not make sense due to the small number of samples and specimens found and to the absence of special morphological differences that could be related to different underground lifestyles.All species of Coletinia show similar morphological adaptations to live in caves or other subterranean habitats, which are shared with most species of the family Nicoletiidae and which can be considered plesiomorphic in this group (absence of eyes, light pigmentation, slender bodies and long appendages).

Figures

Fig. 9. Coletinia serrata Mendes, Molero-Baltanás, Bach de Roca & Gaju-Ricart sp. nov. Holotype, ♂ (MUHNAC, CZ-5646). A. Frons, clypeus and labrum. B. Left antenna: scapus, pedicel with apophysis and basal annuli of the flagellum. C. Idem of the right antenna. D. Detail of the apophysis of the left pedicel. E. Micrograph of the apical part of the apophysis of the left pedicel. F. Sensilla of the apical part of the last article of the maxillary palp. G. Maxillary palp. Scale bars: A, D, F–G = 0.1 mm; B–C = 0.2 mm; E = 50 μm.

Fig. 10. Coletinia serrata Mendes, Molero-Baltanás, Bach de Roca & Gaju-Ricart sp. nov. Holotype, ♂ (MUHNAC, CZ-5646). A. Labial palp. B. First leg, except coxa. C. Femur and tibia of the second leg. D. Metatibia. E. Urotergite II. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 11. Coletinia serrata Mendes, Molero-Baltanás, Bach de Roca & Gaju-Ricart sp. nov. Holotype, ♂ (MUHNAC, CZ-5646). A. Urotergite X. B. Detail of the posterolateral lobe of the urotergite X, with pegs. C. Urosternite V. D. Hind margin of the urosternite VIII. E. Coxite IX, stylus IX and paramere. F. Detail of the apical part of the paramere. G. First and second division of the cercus. H. First and basal divisions of the paracercus. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.