Protaphorura maoerensis, Sun, Xin, Wu, Donghui & Gao, Meixiang, 2013

Sun, Xin, Wu, Donghui & Gao, Meixiang, 2013, Description of the octopunctata - group species of Protaphorura from China (Collembola: Onychiuridae), Zootaxa 3710 (4), pp. 363-371 : 367-370

Protaphorura maoerensis sp. nov.

Figs 14–26

Type material. Holotype female, 13 paratypes females and 7 paratypes male on slides. China: Heilongjiang province: Maoershan National Forest Park (45°24’N, 127°40’N), 0 1 June 2013, litter and soil, Gao Meixiang leg.

Description. Body color white in alcohol. Size 1.75–2.05 mm in females, 1.75 mm in male; holotype 1.80 mm. Body slender and elongated.

Pseudocellar formula dorsally: 43/022/33353, ventrally: 1/000/00000 ( Figs 14 & 20 ); subcoxa 1 of legs with 1, 0, 0 pso respectively. Parapseudocellar formula ventrally: 1/000/110000 ( Fig. 20 ); subcoxa 1 of legs with 1, 1, 1 psx respectively. Pseudopores formula dorsally: 00/011/ 111100, ventrally: 0/111/01m 1m1m 0 0 ( Figs 14 & 20 ).

Head. Antennae nearly as long as head. Ant. IV with a subapical organite and basolateral ms about 1/5 of segment length from base ( Fig. 18 ). Ant. III sensory organ composed of 5 papillae, 5 guard chaetae, 2 small sensory rods, 2 granulated sensory clubs and a lateral ms ( Fig. 17 ). Ant. I with 11 chaetae. Ant. II with 17 chaetae. Antennal bases with distinct granulation.

PAO composed of 40–42 simple vesicles ( Fig. 15 ). 4+4 p-chaetae between postero-internal pso on head ( Fig. 14 ). Mandible with strong molar plate and 4 apical teeth. Maxilla bearing 3 teeth and 6 lamellae. Maxillary palp simple with 1 basal chaeta and 2 sublobal hairs. Labral chaetae formula 4/342. Labium with 7 proximal, 4 basomedian (E, F, G and f) and 6 basolateral chaetae (a, b, c, d, e, e’) ( Fig. 22 ); labial type A, papillae A–E respectively with 1, 4, 0, 3, 3 guard chaetae ( Fig. 16 ). Postlabial chaetae 5+5 along ventral groove ( Fig. 22 ).

Body chaetotaxy. Dorsal chaetotaxy usually with some asymmetry, well differentiated into macro-, meso- and microchaetae. Chaetae s very weakly marked. Th. II–III terga with ms laterally ( Fig. 14 ). Th. I tergum with 12–14 chaetae ( Fig. 14 ). Abd. I–III and V terga without s’ ( Fig. 14 ). Abd. IV–V terga with several asymmetrical chaetae along the axial line, Abd. VI tergum with m0 axial chaeta ( Figs 14 & 23 ). Ratio M/sp on Abd. V as 1.4–1.5 ( Figs 21 & 23 ). Straight lines passing through the bases of chaetae a1 and m1 subparallel on Abd. VI tergum ( Fig. 14 ). Th. I–III sterna with 1+1, 2+2, 2+2 chaetae, respectively. Ventral tube with 9+9 distal chaetae and 2+2 basal chaetae, without anterior chaetae. Furca reduced to cuticular pocket with 2+2 dental chaetae––1+1 chaetae located on a cuticular fold, remaining 1+1 chaetae located distinctly below of fold; three manubrial rows of chaetae present posteriorly to dental chaetae ( Fig. 25 ). Female genital plate with 15–28 chaetae, male genital chaetae plate with 40 chaetae. Male ventral organ absent. Anal valves with numerous acuminate chaetae; each lateral valve with a0, 2a1 and 2a2; upper valve with chaetae a0, 2a1, 2b1, 2b2, c0, 2c1, 2c2 ( Fig. 26 ).

Appendages. Subcoxa 1 of legs I–III with 5–6, 6–7 and 6 chaetae, subcoxa 2 with 1, 5 and 5 chaetae, respectively. Tibiotarsi of legs I–III with 22 (11, 8, 3), 24 (11, 8, 5) and 23 (11, 8, 4) chaetae, respectively ( Figs 19 & 24 ). Unguis with inner denticle. Unguiculus slender and pointed, as long as inner edge of unguis, without inner basal lamella ( Figs 19 & 24 ). Anal spines set on distinct papillae, 0.6 times as long as inner edge of unguis.

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the mountain where it was found.

Ecology. In the mixed coniferous and broad leaved forest.

Remarks. The new species shares the character, subcoxa 1 of legs with 1, 0, 0 pso respectively, with the octopunctata- group species P. mongolica (Martynova, 1975) and P. sakatoi (Yosii, 1966) . But they can be distinguished by the pso formula dorsally (43/022/ 33353 in P. maoerensis sp. nov., 43/022/ 33342 in P. mongolica , 43/022/ 33343 in P. sakatoi ). P. maoerensis sp. nov. has the same pso formula dorsally 43/022/33353 with the species P. octopunctata (Tullberg, 1876) , P. nutak (Yosii, 1972) , P. eichhorni (Gisin, 1954) , P. valsainensis (Acón, 1981) and P. merita Kaprus’ & Pomorski, 2008. They can be separated by the combined characters in Table 2 .

* The characters of P. octopunctata and P. nu t a k according to Kaprus’ and Pomorski (2008); the characters of P. eichhorni according to Weiner and Stomp (1995).

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 20. Protaphorura maoerensis sp. nov.: 14, dorsal chaetotaxy; 15, PAO and anterior cephalic pso; 16, labium; 17, Ant. III sensory organ; 18, antenna; 19, distal part of leg III; 20, Abd. II – VI sterna. Scales: 0.1 mm (14, 19, 20), 0.01 mm (15 – 18).

FIGURES 21 – 26. Protaphorura maoerensis sp. nov.: 21, chaetotaxy of central part of Abd. V tergum; 22, ventral side of head; 23, Abd. IV – VI terga; 24, distal part of leg II; 25, chaetotaxy of central part of Abd. IV sternum; 26, anal valves. Scales: 0.1 mm (21 – 26).

Tables

TABLE 2. Comparison of species with dorsal pso formula 43 / 022 / 33353 in the octopunctata- group of the genus Protaphorura.

	Dorsal pso formula	Number of pso on subcoxa 1	Ventral psx formula	Sensory rods of AIIIO	Chaeta s’ on Abd. I– III and V terga	Male ventral organ	Inner denticle on unguis
P. m a oe re n si s sp. nov.	43/022/33353	1, 0, 0	1/000/110000	lower than accompanying papillae	absent	absent	present
P. octopunctata *	4(5,6)3(4)/022/ 3335(4)3(4,5)	0, 0, 0	1/000/111(0)101m	lower than accompanying papillae	absent	absent	present
P. nutak *	43/022/33353(4)	1, 1, 1	1/000/111101m	higher than accompanying papillae	absent	absent	present
P. eichhorni *	44(3)/022/ 3335(4,6)3	1, 1, 1	1/000/100101m	lower than accompanying papillae	present	present	present or absent
P. valsainensis	43/022/33353	1, 1, 1	?	lower than accompanying papillae	?	absent	present
P. merita	43/02(3)3(2)/ 3335(4,6)3(4)	1, 1, 1	1/000/111101m	lower than accompanying papillae	absent	absent	absent