Szeptyckiella Zhang, Bedos and Deharveng, 2014

Zhang, Feng, Bedos, Anne & Deharveng, Louis, 2014, Disjunct distribution of Szeptyckiella gen. nov. from New Caledonia and South China undermines the monophyly of Willowsiini (Collembola: Entomobryidae), Journal of Natural History 48 (21), pp. 1299-1317 : 1300-1302

Genus Szeptyckiella Zhang, Bedos and Deharveng gen. nov.

Type species. Szeptyckiella boulouparica sp. nov.

Type locality. Mont Do , Bouloupari, New Caledonia .

Diagnosis

Medium size (up to 1.42 mm) entomobryid. Eyes and pigment absent. Scales present on the body, coarsely striate with striations very short, and leaf-like with tip pointed; scales on ventral side of manubrium present but narrower than those on body. Polymacrochaetotic chaetotaxy. Prelabral and labral chaetae 4/5, 5, 4, all smooth. Labrum margin with inverted median U-form intrusion. Chaetae mel 1 l 2 of labium smooth. Five papillae of labial palp with 0, 5, 0, 4, 3 guard chaetae. Subapical chaeta of maxillary outer lobe slightly stronger than apical one; three smooth hairs on sublobal plate. Four antennal segments (I and II not subdivided, IV not annulated). No apical bulb. Fourth abdominal tergite 2.33 to 3.62 times longer than the third. Trochanteral organ of leg III always present, with 7 to 17 spines. Inner differentiated tibiotarsal chaetae ciliated with ciliations not closely appressed to axis. Ungual basal paired teeth unequal, outer one large. Tenent hair of tibiotarsus pointed and subequal to unguiculus. Tenaculum with 4 + 4 teeth and one large striate chaeta. Manubrium without smooth chaetae. Dens without spines and scales. Bidentate mucro with a short basal spine. Male genital plate of the papillate type.

Distribution

New Caledonia, China (Guangdong).

Etymology

The genus is named after the famous Polish collembologist Andrzej Szeptycki, for his outstanding work on Entomobryomorpha chaetotaxy.

Remarks

Szeptyckiella gen. nov. belongs to Willowsiini due to the absence of dental scales. It is closest to Hawinella in body habitus, scale morphology and distribution, and in having smooth prelabral and labral chaetae and no antennal apical bulb or eyes. It differs from Hawinella in having bidentate mucro. Szeptyckiella gen. nov. also resembles Sinella , from which it differs only in having scales.

Key to Willowsiini genera

1. Dental spines present ..................................... Sinhomidia Zhang et al. 2009b Dental spines absent ................................................................................... 2

2. Eyes absent ................................................................................................. 3 Eyes present ................................................................................................ 5

3. Mucro bidentate ........................................................ Szeptyckiella gen. nov. Mucro falcate ............................................................................................ 4

4. Macrochaetotaxy well developed … .............................................................. ................................................... Hawinella Bellinger and Christiansen, 1974 Macrochaetotaxy strongly reduced ............... Lepidosinella Handschin, 1920

5. Mucro falcate .............................................................................................. 6 Mucro bidentate ......................................................................................... 7

6. Mucronal basal spine absent ................................ Desertia Chelnokov, 1979 Mucronal basal spine present ................................. Drepanosira Bonet, 1942

7. Unguis without unpaired inner tooth .............. Lepidobrya Womersley, 1937 Unguis with unpaired inner tooth .............................................................. 8

8. Scales chaeta-like, narrow, finely sculpted with all ribs short, and elongate and narrower in the posterior row of tergites … Janetschekbrya Yosii, 1971 Scales variously sculpted, not chaeta-like and not much longer in the posterior row of tergites ....................................................................................... 9

9. Scales narrow, with two uninterrupted lateral ribs; macrochaetotaxy reduced ...................................... Americabrya Mari Mutt and Palacios-Vargas, 1987 Scales different, with various types of sculpture, from very short spinules to long ribs ......................................................................... Willowsia Shoebotham, 1917

Key to the world species of Szeptyckiella gen. nov.

1. Abd. I with 4 + 4 central mac; Abd. II with 4 + 4 mac .......... S. lii sp. nov. Abd. I with no more than 2 + 2 central mac; Abd. II with 2 + 2 mac ..... 2

2. Antennae less than 1.5 times as long as cephalic diagonal; Abd. I with 1 + 1 central mac .............................................................. S. boulouparica sp. nov. Antennae more than twice as long as cephalic diagonal; Abd. I with 2 + 2 central mac ................................................................. S. sinelloides sp. nov.