Edoughnura, Deharveng, Louis, Kroua, Salah Hamra & Bedos, Anne, 2007

Deharveng, Louis, Kroua, Salah Hamra & Bedos, Anne, 2007, Edoughnura rara n. gen., n. sp., an enigmatic genus of Neanurinae Collembola from the Edough Massif (Algeria), Zootaxa 1652, pp. 57-61 : 58

Edoughnura gen. nov.

Type species. Edoughnura rara sp. nov.

Description. Small size. Light grey-blue pigment present on the body. Two pigmented ocelli on each side of the head. Ordinary dorsal chaetae bent, rather short, moderatly thick, not or hardly sheathed. S7 not enlarged on Ant.IV. Tertiary granules present on the body. Reticulations inconspicuous or absent. Buccal cone short but not truncated. Labrum formula 2/2,4, the 2+2 distal chaetae subequal. Maxilla with two thin appressed lamellae, one distally bidentate and one unidentate. Mandible as a long, rather thin lamella ciliated in its distal part, with two very thin basal teeth, cilia-like. All dorsal tubercles developed. Eleven tubercles on head: (Af+CL), 2 Oc, 2 Di, 2 De, 2 DL and 2 (L+So). Tubercles Di fused on the axis from Abd.III to Abd.V. Chaetotaxy of the tubercle (Af + CL) on head with 4 or 5 supernumerary chaetae. Anus as a more or less transversal furrow. Tibiotarsal chaetotaxy 18,18,17 (chaeta M absent). Claw untoothed.

Etymology. The name of the genus refers to the region where it has been collected. Gender: feminine.

Discussion. The genus Edoughnura differs from other Neanurini by a number of peculiar features: the morphology of dorsal chaetae, the external shift of chaeta F on the labium (as in Protanura papillata, Deharveng 1983: 17 ), the strongly modified mandible with long ciliated lamella, the presence of supernumerary chaetae on the central area of head (unique among Neanurini ), the linear arrangement of Di chaetae on Th. II- III, the fusion of Di tubercles on Abd. III (as in Monobella cassagnaui Deharveng, 1981 ) and the anus as a more or less transversal furrow. With this combination of unusual characters, Edoughnura appears very isolated in the tribe Neanurini , with possible remote affinities with Endonura (fusion of tubercles Di on Abd. V combined with separation of tubercles Di and De on head). Its mandible recalls that of Crossodonthina , a genus from eastern Asia, which belongs to the tribe Lobellini and has no close relationships with Edoughnura . It suggests special feeding habits.