Arrhopalites alambariensis, Zeppelini, Douglas, 2006

Zeppelini, Douglas, 2006, The genus Arrhopalites Börner, 1906 (Collembola, Appendiciphora, Arrhopalitidae) in the Neotropical Region, with description of four new cave species from Brazil, Zootaxa 1124, pp. 1-40 : 19-20

Arrhopalites alambariensis sp. n. ( Fig. 8 A –K)

Etymology. This species is named after the Type locality, Cave Alambari de Cima.

Type Material. Holotype femaleΨ, BRAZIL, São Paulo. Iporanga, cave Alambari de Cima, 28 ­x­ 1990.M.C. Chamani and P.M. Seino ( MZUSP). Paratypes: BRAZIL, São Paulo: 5 female ΨΨ, same data as Holotype.

Description. Caecus ­group ( Fig. 8 A –K). Body sparsely clothed with short setae on anterior part of the abdomen (Fig. D­a) and 3.5 X longer setae on posterior part of the abdomen (Fig. D­b). Antennae of holotype about 1.2 X length of head. Ant. I: II; III; IV = 1: 2; 4.25; 8.37. Ant. IV 2.14 X longer than Ant. III, undivided and indistinctly ringed (Fig. A); longest setae about twice the width of segment; Ant. IV apex with a capitate sense rod (Fig. B). Ant. III without basal swelling; sense organ (Fig. C) with 2 parallel sense rods in a single shallow pit; seta Aai club­shaped and blunt; Api and Ape setae slender with bristle like apex; Ae, Ap and Ai normal. 1 + 1 eyes. Dorsal cephalic setae A 3, M 5 and L and IL series spinelike, M 4 absent (Fig. J). Metatrochanteral organ (seta D 2) elongate, metathoracic trochanteral seta P 1 short and close to D 1 (Fig. G). All ungues with an inner tooth and clear tunica (figs. K a–c). All unguiculi with corner tooth, first and second with a long apical filament, exceeding apex of unguis (Fig.K a–c), third unguis with a short apical filament. Tenaculum with two setae on anterior unpaired lobe. Dens with 6 dorsal E setae, E 1–4 strongly spinelike, E 5 spinelike; L 1–3 spinelike, L 4 present; D 1, D 2, Id 2 and Id 4 present, Id 1 and Id 3 absent (Fig. E); 5 ventral setae rows (3,2,2,1,1) present (Fig. E). Mucro narrow, gutter­like, both edges serrate (Fig. F). 3 + 2 cuticular spines on each side of the anal valve, s0 present; setae C 1 –C 8 lamellate but C 7 slender, chaetotaxy as in figure I and table 2. Female subanal appendage cylindrical with the apical third flattened with fringed apex. Body length of the adult female holotype 0.46mm, head 0.31mm.

Distribution: biogeographic zone 27.

Remarks: Arrhopalites alambariensis n. sp. is very similar to A. gnaspinii and occur in the same cave system. A. alambariensis can be distinguished by the undivided fourth antennal segment, the presence of a tunica on all ungues and the short P 1 seta on metathoracic trochanter.