Entomobrya kitchingi, Jordana & Greenslade, 2020

Jordana, Rafael & Greenslade, Penelope, 2020, Biogeographical and ecological insights from Australasian faunas: the megadiverse collembolan genus, Entomobrya (Entomobryidae), Zootaxa 4770 (1), pp. 1-104 : 43-45

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.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Habitus and colour of: A, Entomobrya herberti sp. nov.; B, Entomobrya imbre sp. nov.; C, Entomobrya karta sp. nov. sp.; D, Entomobrya kitchingi sp. nov.; E, E. lamingtonensis Schött, 1917; F, Entomobrya loftyensis sp. nov.; G, Entomobrya ludimus sp. nov.; E. mauretanica Handschin, 1925 sensu Baquero et al., 2009; I, Entomobrya militum sp. nov.; J, E. multifasciata (Tullberg, 1871) Brook, 1884; K, Entomobrya niger comb. nov.; L–M, E. nigrocincta Denis, 1923, L, female, M, male; N, Entomobrya potterae sp. nov.; O, Entomobrya peregrina sp. nov. Bar=0.5 mm.

FIGURE 22. Entomobrya kitchingi sp. nov. Line drawings A–F: A, head chaetotaxy; B, Ant organ III (bar=0.008 mm); C, Th II chaetotaxy; D, Abd II–III chaetotaxy; E, Abd IV chaetotaxy; F, unguis, a leg 3, b unguiculus leg 1&2 (bar=0.040 mm). Bar for A, C–E=0.05 mm.