Willowsia pseudoplatani Zhang & Pan, 2016

Pan, Zhixiang & Zhang, Feng, 2016, Contribution to the Willowsia species having body scales of the long basal rib type: four new species and a redescription of W. qui (Collembola: Entomobryidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 245, pp. 1-25 : 7-10

Willowsia pseudoplatani Zhang & Pan sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CFF949FE-57F5-40DC-8087-04920282F729

Figs 4–6

Diagnosis

Metathorax and Abd. II–IV dark blue; cephalic mac S 0 and S 1 absent; manubrial plaque with about 7 ciliate chaetae; Th. II with 1 (m4) medio-lateral and 6 (p1̅5, p2e) posterior mac and without mediomedial mac; Th. III with mic a1 and a3; Abd. I with 3 (m2̅4) mac; Abd. III with 2 (a2, m3) central mac.

Etymology

Named after the great similarities between the new species and W. platani (Nicolet, 1842) .

Material examined

Holotype

CHINA: ♀ on slide, Zhejiang Province, Taishun County, Wuyanling National Forest Park, Shuangkengkou , 27.617° N, 119.767° E, altitude 600 m, 8 Aug. 2010, JX Chen team leg. (slide # C9279_1, sample # C9279), deposited in NJAU.

Paratypes

CHINA: 2 ♀♀ on slides, same data as holotype (slide # C9279_2̅3), deposited in NJAU.

Description

Body length up to 1.74 mm.

Ground colour pale in alcohol. Ant. I̅IV gradually darker. A transverse band between the eye patches. Dark blue stripe on lateral margin of mesothorax. Metathorax and Abd. II–IV dark blue. Abd. V posteriorly with a transverse band ( Fig. 4A ). Scales narrow, pointed, heavily striate with basal ribs longer than distal ones ( Fig. 4B ), and only present dorsally on head and terga.

Based on 3 measured specimens, antenna 2.14–2.30 times as long as cephalic diagonal. Antennal segment ratio as I: II: III: IV = 1: 2.17–2.40: 2.17–2.33: 3.00. Smooth spiny mic at base of antennae 3: dorsal and 3 ventral on Ant. I; 1 internal, 1 external and 1 ventral on Ant. II.

Labral intrusion slightly curved ( Fig. 5A ). Clypeal chaetae ciliate but their number not clearly seen. Dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy with 4 antennal (An), 4 median (M) and 6 sutural (S) mac; mac S 0 and S 1 absent ( Fig. 5B ). Tip of lateral process of labial palp not reaching apex of labial papilla. Labial chaeta R/M = 0.71–0.76. Cephalic groove with 7–8 ciliate chaetae on each side ( Fig. 5D ).

Metatrochanteral organ with 11̅16 smooth spine-like chaetae; 7̅ 12 in L-shaped arms and 3̅4 between arms ( Fig. 5E ). Ungual basal inner paired teeth with tip reaching 50% from base, median one at 75% and distal one at 86%. Tenent hairs subequal to unguis in length ( Fig. 5F ). Abd. IV 3.04–3.95 times as long as Abd. III along dorsal midline. Ventral tube anteriorly with about 13 ciliate chaetae, 5 of them larger than others ( Fig. 5G ); posteriorly not clearly seen; each lateral flap with 10–13 chaetae, some of them weakly ciliate ( Fig. 5H ). Manubrium dorsally with 7+7 large differentiated chaetae. Manubrial plaque with about 7 ciliate chaetae; pseudopores not clearly seen ( Fig. 5I ). Distal smooth part of dens 2.50̅2.75 times as long as mucro.

Th. II with 1 (m4) medio-lateral and 6 (p1–5, p2e) posterior mac; medio-medial mac absent; m5 as mac. Th. III with 13 mac; a1 and a3 as mic ( Fig. 6A ). Abd. I with 3 (m2̅4) mac. Abd. II with 3 (a2, m3, m3e) central and 1 (m5) lateral mac. Abd. III with 2 (a2, m3) central and 3 (am6, pm6, p6) lateral mac. Abd. IV with 7 central and about 8 lateral mac; F1 often as mic; F2 and F3 as mesochaetae ( Fig. 6B ).

Ecology

Found in litter, debris and rotten logs of evergreen broad-leaved forest.

Remarks

Willowsia pseudoplatani sp. nov. is characterized by the unique colour pattern and the thoracic chaetotaxy. The new species is closest to W. platani (Nicolet, 1842) in most features except several characters. W. pseudoplatani sp. nov. has pale Abd. V and longer smooth part of dens. In chaetotaxy, mac m5 on Th. II and mac a2, a5, m5i on Th. III are present in W. pseudoplatani sp. nov. but absent in W. platani ; on Abd. III, a3 is mic in the new species and mac in W. platani .

Figures

Fig. 4. Willowsia pseudoplatani Zhang & Pan sp. nov. A. Colour pattern. B. Scales on Abd. II. Scale bars: A = 500 μm; B = 20 μm.

Fig. 5. Willowsia pseudoplatani Zhang & Pan sp. nov. A. Labrum. B. Dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy. C. Maxillary outer lobe. D. Chaetae on ventral side of head. E. Trochanteral organ. F. Hind claw. G–H. Ventral tube. G. Anterior face. H. Lateral flap. I. Manubrium, dorsal view. J. Mucro. Scale bars: A, C–J = 20 μm; B = 100 μm.

Fig. 6. Willowsia pseudoplatani Zhang & Pan sp. nov. A. Thoracic chaetotaxy. B–C. Abdominal chaetotaxy. B. Abd. I–IV. C. Abd. V. Scale bars: 100 μm.