Willowsia, Shoebotham, 1917

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 : 19-23

Willowsia qui Zhang, Chen & Deharveng, 2011

Figs 13–15 ; Table 3

Diagnosis

Very narrow lateral stripes on Th. II–Abd. I and transverse bands on postero-lateral margin of Abd. II–III; cephalic mac S 0 absent but S 0 ' present; 7 clypeal chaetae; Th. II with 2 medio-medial, 3 mediolateral, and 12–13 posterior mac; chaeta a1 as mic on Th. III; Abd. I with 4 mac; Abd. III with 2 central mac; Abd. IV with 6 central mac.

Material examined

CHINA: holotype and paratype on slides, Zhejiang Province, Taishun County, Wuyanling National Forest Park, Shuangkengkou, 27.617° N, 119.767° E, altitude 600 m, 4 Aug. 2005, J.X. Chen team leg. (sample # C9279); 2 ³³, 1 ♀, on slides, Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Shangfengjing Village, under leaf litter of bamboo, 28.792° N, 115.808° E, altitude 118 m, 11 Aug. 2012, Z.X. Pan and Q.P. Ren leg. (slide # 4383_1–3, sample # 4383); 1 ♀ on slide, Anhui Province, Yi County, Xidi Village, under leaves, 29.905° N, 117.992° E, altitude 223 m, 18 Nov. 2012, F. Zhang, Z.-X. Pan and Z.-H. Li leg. (slide # HC13_1, sample # HC13); 1 ♀ on slide, Anhui Province, Tangkou Town, Fuxi Village, bamboo forest, 30.08° N, 118.148° E, altitude 689 m, 15 Jul. 2015, F. Zhang leg. (slide # 15AH10, sample # 15AH_ monkey).

Description

Body length up to 1.8 mm.

Ground colour pale in alcohol. Ant. I̅II with distal patches and III–IV dark. A transverse band between eye patches. Narrow stripes present on lateral margin of Th. II–Abd. I. Narrow transverse bands on posterior margin of Abd. II–III. Small patches posteriorly on Abd. IV–VI ( Fig. 13A ). Scales pointed, heavily striate with basal ribs longer than distal ones, and only present dorsally on head and terga. Some chaetae of the row along the posterior margin of each tergum transformed into scales and larger than other scales ( Fig. 13B ).

Based on 5 measured specimens, antenna 2.48–2.54 times as long as cephalic diagonal. Antennal segment ratio as I: II: III: IV = 1: 1.69–2.12: 1.69–2.00: 2.65–3.15. Smooth spiny mic at base of antennae: 3 dorsal and 2 ventral on Ant. I; 1 internal, 1 external and 1 ventral on Ant. II.

Labral intrusion slightly curved. Seven clypeal chaetae ciliate and arranged in two rows ( Fig. 14B ). Dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy with 4 antennal (An), 4 median (M) and 7 sutural (S) mac; mac S 0 ' present; mac S 0 and S 1 absent; mac Ps 2 rarely absent ( Fig. 14C ). Tip of lateral process of labial palp slightly beyond apex of labial papilla. Labial chaeta R/M = 0.65–0.76. Cephalic groove with 7(6) ciliate chaetae on each side.

Metatrochanteral organ with 10̅14 smooth spine-like chaetae; 8̅ 11 in L-shaped arms and 2̅3 between arms ( Fig. 14D ). Ungual basal paired inner teeth with tip reaching 52% from base, median one at 75% and distal one at 88%. Tenent hairs slightly longer than unguis ( Fig. 14E ). Abd. IV 3.47–3.70 times as long as Abd. III along dorsal midline. Ventral tube anteriorly with 12–15 ciliate chaetae, 5–7 of them larger than others ( Fig. 14F ); posteriorly with 6–8 smooth chaetae; each lateral flap with 11 chaetae ( Fig. 14G ). Manubrium dorsally with 6+6 thick chaetae, 3 large and 3 (1 in distal plaque) median in size ( Fig. 14H ); ventrally with 8(7)+8(7) distal chaetae ( Fig. 14I ). Manubrial plaque with 2 pseudopores and 4 ciliate chaetae ( Fig. 14H ). Distal smooth part 1.60̅1.81 times as long as mucro.

Th. II with 2(3) (m1, m2) medio-medial, 3 (m4, m4i, m4p) medio-lateral and 12–13 posterior mac; mac m2i present in one specimen; m5 and p4–6 as mac; mac p2a often absent. Th. III with 14 mac; a1 as mic; m6e as mesochaeta ( Fig. 15A ). Abd. I with 4 (m2̅4, m4p) 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; a3 as mac in one specimen. Abd. IV with 6 central mac, about 12 lateral mac and at least 9 sens; A5 as mesochaeta ( Fig. 15B ).

Ecology

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

DNA barcodes

KU833221 , KU833226 .

Remarks

We found a paratype, which was actually W. japonica (Folsom, 1897) and incorrectly designated as W. qui by the original authors, resulting in some mistakes in the original description. Based on the types and fresh material, W. qui differs from W. japonica in narrower stripes on lateral margin of thorax and posterior margin of Abd. II–III, broad body scales, short distal smooth part of dens, and chaetotaxy of Th. II and Abd. I and IV ( Table 3). Mesochaeta A5 is as long as macrochaetae, but thinner, with small socket and pointed tip. The K2P genetic distance (0.184 –0.192) of the COI (one sequence of W. japonica from GenBank: KM978378 ) also indicates two independent species.

Figures

Fig. 13. Willowsia qui Zhang, Chen & Deharveng, 2011. A. Habitus. B. Abd. III. Scale bars: A = 500 μm; B = 20 μm.

Fig. 14. Willowsia qui Zhang, Chen & Deharveng, 2011. A. Ant. III organ. B. Clypeal chaetae. C. Dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy. D. Trochanteral organ. E. Hind claw. F. Anterior face of ventral tube. G. Posterior face and lateral flap of ventral tube. H. Manubrium and base of dens, dorsal view. I. Distal chaetae of ventral face of manubrium. J. Mucro. Scale bars: A–B, D–J = 20 μm; C = 100 μm.

Fig. 15. Willowsia qui Zhang, Chen & Deharveng, 2011. A. Thoracic chaetotaxy. B–C. Abdominal chaetotaxy. B. Abd. I–IV. C. Abd. V. Scale bars: 100 μm.