Pseudosinella paclti Rusek, 1961

Kováč, Ľubomír & Rusek, Josef, 2012, Redescription of two troglobiotic species of the genus Pseudosinella Schäffer, 1897 (Collembola, Entomobryidae) from the Western Carpathians, Zootaxa 3341, pp. 32-45 : 38-43

Pseudosinella paclti Rusek, 1961

Figs 10–21

Pseudosinella cavernarum (Moniez, 1893) in: Paclt (1957a, b)

Diagnosis. Eyes and pigmentation absent. Labium with M 1m 2rEL1L2 basal setae, r strongly reduced. Dorsal macrosetae: R221/32/0201+2. Setal pattern of abdominal tergite II: pABq1q2. Abd. IV with supplementary microseta s in front of anterior trichobothrium and 2+2 smooth mesosetae. Conical microsetae on antennal segments absent. Apical half of Ant.III segment with 8–9 additional leaf-like setae placed ventro-externally. Foot complex as in Figs 19–21 . Unguiculus with well developed external tooth. Tibiotarsal tenent hair pointed. Trochanteral organ with 10–13 smooth setae.

Type material. Holotype and two paratypes on permanent slide: Slovakia, Low Tatra Mts., Demänovská cave system, Demänovská slobody Cave (Demänovská Cave of Liberty), 27.xi.1956, leg. J. Paclt. Type material deposited in the Department of Entomology, Moravian Museum, Brno ( Czech Republic).

Examined material from type locality. Slovakia, Demänovská jaskyňa slobody (Demänovská Cave of Liberty), “Sieň speleoterapie” Hall, 15 specimens, collected on rotten wood and by pitfall trap, 11.v.–27.ix.2000, leg. Ľ. Kováč; ibid., “Mramorové riečisko” Passage, 7 specimens, pitfall trap, 11.v.–27.ix.2000, leg. Ľ. Kováč; Demänovská jaskyňa mieru (Demänovská Cave of Peace), 5 specimens, collected on rotten wood and surface of water pool, 11.v.2000, leg.P. Ľuptáčik, A.Mock & Ľ. Kováč. 6 specimens from type locality saved in collection of MNHN in Paris, 21 specimens saved in collection of IBE FS UPJŠ, Košice.

Other examined material. Slovakia, Horehronské podolie Basin, Bystrianska Cave, “Vstupná chodba” Passage, 4 specimens, collected on bat guano, 8.v.2002, leg. A. Mock & Ľ. Kováč; Veľká Fatra Mts., Harmanecká Cave, “Riečište” Passage, 8 specimens, collected on rotten wood and surface of standing water, 7.v.2002, leg. P. Ľuptáčik & Ľ. Kováč, ibid. “Bludný dóm” Dome, 3 specimens, pitfall trap, 7.v.–22.x.2002, leg. Ľ. Kováč; Kozie chrbty Mts., Važecká Cave, “Zrútený dóm” Hall, 2 specimens, 17.v.2001, collected on rotten wood, leg. Ľ. Kováč. Other material kept in collection of IBE FS UPJŠ, Košice.

Redescription. Body 2.0–2.3 mm long. White, without traces of pigmentation. Scales on antennae and legs absent; on manubrium scales present on its ventral side.

Head. Eyes absent. Dorsal macrosetae R221 or R (R0 R1 R2) + R3 S T T´P (setal notation after Jordana & Baquero 2007). Macrosetae ciliated (75–80 μm), with blunt apex (dorsal ones) or sharply pointed (lateral ones); mesosetae finely ciliated (20–35 μm, Fig. 10 ). Posterior row with finely ciliated and sharply pointed mesosetae (45 μm). Short trichobothrium (50 μm) situated laterally to ocular macroseta. Praelabral and labral setae smooth, setal pattern of labrum: 4/554. Labium with M 1m 2rEL1L2 basal setae; M1, E, L1 and L2 ciliated, M2 smooth in adults (in juveniles ciliated), seta r strongly reduced ( Fig. 11 ). Frontal row of labial setae smooth.

Thorax and abdomen ( Figs 14, 15 and 17 ). Dorsal macrosetae: /32/0201+2. Microsensillar formula 10/10100, microsensilla (ms) strong and placed laterally (6 μm), on Th.II and Abd.I anteriorly, on Abd.III posteriorly. Formula of smooth mesosetae 11/01133, mesosetae (s) progressively elongated from Th.II (10 μm) to Abd.V (14 μm). Smooth mesosetae on Th.II in anterior position placed laterally to ms. Abd.IV with 2 smooth mesosetae, 1 anterior (as) and 1 posterior (ps). Setal pattern of abdominal tergite II: pABq1q2 ( Fig. 14 ); macroseta A 0.56% of the length of macroseta B (75 and 132 μm, respectively). Abd.IV with 4 supplementary microsetae (blunt, ciliated) in front of anterior trichobothrium (microseta s present) and 2 such microsetae in front of posterior trichobothrium ( Fig. 15 ). Medial macrosetae of Abd.IV B4 and B6 with blunt apex, apically ciliated, equally long (190 μm). Complete setal pattern of Abd.IV tergum provided in Figs. 17 a and 17b.

Appendages. Antennae longer than head (925: 520 μm). Antennal segments I: II: III: IV as 95: 240: 225: 365 (µm); densely covered with ciliated meso- and macrosetae (35–70 µm), numerous smooth microsetae (12 µm), thin and curved sensilla (20–25 µm), and thin, straight microsensilla (10 µm). Apical bulb on Ant.IV absent; subapical organite as minute, fusiform rod (1.5 µm). Apical part of Ant. III with antennal organ consisting of 2 wrinkled, leaf-like sensory setae (12 µm), 2 guard sensilla (10 µm) and short rod (4 µm). Apical half of the segment with 8-9 additional leaf-like setae (12 µm) placed ventro-externally; segment with row of 4 external sensilla with thickened base (12 µm; Fig. 13 ). Ant.II apically with 2 dorso-external leaf-like setae (12 µm). Ant.I with 3 dorsal and 3 ventral basal microsetae (6–8 µm). Ventrally with a group of 10–12 thin, straight microsensilla (8–10 µm) accompanied with 7–8 smooth setae (20–25 µm) and 2 external sensilla (18–20 µm; Fig. 12 ). Conical microsetae cm on antennal segments absent.

Unguis (claw) of legs I, II and III 40 μm long; tibiotarsi 20 μm wide. Unguis with 2 proximal (basal) teeth in 15% length of different size, external one developed in form of wing tooth, 1 short internal tooth in 38 % length of ventral lamella (positions in % measured on leg I); apical, lateral and external teeth on unguis absent ( Figs 19–21 ).

Unguiculus (30 µm) with well developed external tooth situated in the middle of lamella. Tibiotarsal tenent hair acuminate, 28 µm long, inner macrosetae of tibiotarsi differentiated (except of proximal setae whorl): thick, apically smooth, obliquely cut and sharply pointed ( Figs 19–21 ). Metatibiotarsus (leg III) with 1 differentiated internal seta placed in the first whorl, smooth and pointed (35 μm). Trochanteral organ (leg III) consists of 10–13 smooth setae (20–25 µm; Fig. 18 ). Ventral tubus with 10 ciliated setae on lateral flap. Manubrial plaque on each side with 2 pseudopores, 2 internal and 3 external ciliated setae ( Fig. 16 ). Manubrium: dens: mucro as 340: 360: 15 (µm). Apical part of dens (0.15 of the length) not crenulated. Mucro elongated with apical teeth slightly longer than anteapical one, 1 short basal seta reaching anteapical tooth.

Both sexes known.

Discussion. Pseudosinella paclti is similar to P. pyrenaea Bonet, 1931 sensu Beruete and Jordana (2002) , P. subdobati Gisin & Gama, 1970 and P. jeanpierrei Beruete & Jordana, 2002 . All share pattern of body dorsal macrosetae (R221/32/0101+2), although in P. subdobati cephalic macrosetae have slightly different position, see Fig. 3 in Gisin and Gama (1970). Moreover, they share two other characters: pointed tibiotarsal tenent hair and Abd.IV tergum with supplementary microseta s. According to Gisin and Gama (1970) this seta on Abd.IV is absent in P. p a c l t i. However, the study of P. p a c l t i from the type locality (Demänovská cave system) revealed presence of the seta s on Abd.IV in this species.

The group of species also shares the same setal pattern on Abd.II (pABq1q2). P. paclti differs from other species by pattern of basal labial setae M 1m 2rEL1L2 (M 1m 2rel1l 2 in P. subdobati and P. jeanpierrei , m 1m 2rel1l 2 in P. pyrenaea ). The other differences between four species are in modifications of shape and arrangement of unguis and unguiculus. In P. p a c l t i unguis is relatively short with strong and unequal basal teeth of which external one is winglike, internal tooth is present and unguiculus has apparent external tooth (in other three species the tooth is absent). In the contrary, P. jeanpierrei shows higher level of troglomorphy in elongated antennae and elongated and narrowed unguis with reduced proximal teeth and a rounded expansion substituting internal tooth. And finally, P.paclti is peculiar with 8–9 additional leaf-like setae in apical half of Ant.III (in P. pyrenaea there is 1 and in P. jeanpierrei 3 of such modified setae on the segment).

P. styriaca Neuherz & Nosek, 1975 from Raudner Cave in Styria ( Austria) is probably belonging to the same phyletic lineage with P. paclti having similar pattern of dorsal macrosetae on thorax and abdomen (R001/32/ 0201+2) and the shape and structure of unguis and unguiculus. However, in this species many important characters remained undescribed.

Distribution. Pseudosinella paclti is inhabiting karstic caves of central part of the Western Carpathians, i.e. Low Tatra Mts. (Demänovská cave system, Veľká Stanišovská Cave), Horehronské podolie Basin (Bystrianska Cave), Strážovské vrchy Mts. (Dúpna diera Cave), Veľká Fatra Mts. (Harmanecká Cave), Kozie chrbty Mts. (Važecká Cave) ( Rusek 1961, Kováč et al. 2002, Mock et al. 2002). Recently, forms closely related to P. p a c l t i have been discovered in the neighbouring karstic regions, e.g. in the Bobačka Cave, Muránska Plateau karstic region (Kováč et al. 2002). Their taxonomic status is necessary to be specified since they potentially represent new troglobiotic Pseudosinella species for science.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Pseudosinella paclti: 17 a, Abd. IV segment complete setal pattern, b — Abd. IV schematic setal pattern, symbols as in Fig. 9. Scale bar: 200 μm (Fig. 17 a, b).

FIGURES 10 – 13. Pseudosinella paclti: 10, head, dorsal side; 11, labial triangle setae and labial palps, lateral side; 12, Ant. I segment, ventral side (empty circles: serrated meso- and macrosetae); 13, apical part of Ant. III segment, ventral side (empty circles: serrated meso- and macrosetae). Scale bars: 200 μm (Fig. 10), 50 μm (Figs 11 – 13).

FIGURES 14 – 16. Pseudosinella paclti: 14, Abd. II and III segments, dorsally, left side; 15, Abd. IV segment dorsally, setal pattern around anterior trichobothria, right side; 16, apical part of manubrium, ventral side. Scale bars: — 100 μm (Figs 14 – 15), 40 μm (Fig. 16).

FIGURES 18 – 21. Pseudosinella paclti: 18, trochanter of leg III, internal side; 19, unguis of leg II, internal side; 20, unguis of leg II, external side; 21, unguis of leg II, view from below. Scale bars: 50 μm (Fig. 18), 30 μm Figs (19 – 21).

FIGURES 1 – 4. Pseudosinella aggtelekiensis: 1, head, dorsal side (setae of p-row not drawn); 2, labial triangle setae and labial palps, lateral side; 3, Ant. I segment, ventral side (empty circles: serrated meso- and macrosetae), a—conical microseta (cm), enlarged; 4, apical part of Ant. III segment, ventral side (empty circles: serrated meso- and macrosetae). Scale bars :: 200 μm (Fig. 1), 50 μm (Figs 2 – 4).