Itanura, Queiroz, Gabriel C. & Deharveng, Louis, 2015

Queiroz, Gabriel C. & Deharveng, Louis, 2015, New genus, new species and new record of Neanurinae (Collembola, Neanuridae) for the Neotropics, Zootaxa 4020 (1), pp. 134-152 : 140-141

Itanura gen. nov.

Type species: Neanura brasiliensis Arlé, 1959 , by present designation

Diagnosis. No hypodermal blue pigment, white in ethanol. Ant III organ complete (5 S-chaetae). Ant IV with S 1– 8 subequal. Eyes 2+2, without dark pigment. Labral chaetotaxy: 0/2,4; labral ventro-distal sclerotisations rounded apically. Maxilla styliform. Mandible slender, with 2–3 teeth. No reticulations. Dorsal tubercles present, small, the internal ones not developed, those of Abd IV–VI larger. Head: tubercle Fr fused to An across midline, forming an Af tubercle, not fused to Oc or CL; no tubercles Di; tubercle De present; DL and (L+So) tubercles separated in lateral area. No tubercles Di on Th I–Abd IV, other tubercles all present; on abd V tubercles Di adjacent across midline, not fused; tubercles De and DL fused together laterally; on Abd VI, tubercles separated middorsally. No plurichaetosis. Standard arrangement and number of S-chaetae on half tergites of Th II–Abd V: 2 + ms, 2/11111. Dorsal ordinary macrochaetae ciliated, subparallel, with a small rounded apex. Claw untoothed, M-chaeta absent on tibiotarsi.

Etymology. After "Ita", that means stone in the indigenous language Tupi; a reference to the rocky mountains of Southeast Brazil, where the species of the genus was found.

Remarks. This new genus is the only Paleonurini genus endemic of the Neotropical region, as Paramanura Cassagnau, 1986, previously described from Venezuela highlands, has been subsequently assigned by its author to Pronura ( Cassagnau, 1996) . The body tubercles of Itanura gen. nov. are intermediately developed compared to those of Australonura Cassagnau, 1980 and Phradmon Greenslade & Deharveng, 1991 , which have stronger tubercles, and those of Paleonura Cassagnau, 1982 and Pronura Delamare Deboutteville, 1953 , where tubercles are not or weakly differentiated.

The combination of characters that distinguish Itanura gen. nov. from other Paleonurini genera is the presence of a tubercle Af on head, the adjacence of Di tubercle on Abd V and the absence of tubercles Di from head to Abd IV. The main differences of tubercle arrangement on head and Abd IV–VI between Southern Hemisphere tuberculate genera of Paleonurini are summarized in Figs 11–16 . Evolutionary relationships between these genera are difficult to hypothetize from morphology alone, given the reticulate evolution of tubercule arrangement, and convergence may not be ruled out. Molecular approaches may be here the only way to solve the problem.

* De fused to DL = 4+S. *=** Tubercles of Abd V fused, forming a single tubercle (Di+De+DL) with 1+1+S+1. º=*** Tubercle Di of Abd IV present.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 16. Schematic representation of tubercle arrangement on head and Abd IV – VI of some Southern Hemisphere genera of Paleonurini and Itanura gen nov. 11. Blasconura Cassagnau, 1983; 12. Vitronura Yosii, 1969; 13. Australonura Cassagnau, 1980; 14. Phradmon Greenslade & Deharveng, 1991; 15. Ectonura Cassagnau, 1980; 16. Itanura gen. nov.