Troglopalites, Vargovitsh, Robert S., 2012

Vargovitsh, Robert S., 2012, New troglomorphic Arrhopalitidae (Collembola: Symphypleona) from the Western Caucasus, Zootaxa 3174, pp. 1-21 : 10

Genus Troglopalites gen. nov.

Type species: Troglopalites stygios sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Genus of Arrhopalitidae with characters: chaetotaxy of the sixth abdominal segment is reduced and circumanal row of setae on dorsal and lateral valves is incomplete (mps1, mps3, mpi1 and mpi2 are absent); trichobothria ABC form an angle close to flat and seta p anteriorly to trichobothrial complex lies on or above the level of trichobothrium B (with respect to the line crossing B and parallel to anteroposterior body axis); secondary seta FSa on fore and mid tibiotarsi absent; dens with 5 transversal rows of setae on anterior side.

Discussion. Troglopalites gen. nov. is close to the genus Arrhopalites by: absence of seta FSa on fore and mid tibiotarsi, position of seta p of Abd I, anterior dens chaetotaxy, globular shape of the mucro tip, indistinct separation between subsegments of Ant IV. It differs from Arrhopalites by: reduced small abdomen chaetotaxy, trichobothrial pattern with almost flat ABC angle, high number of setal whorls (20 versus up to 15 in Arrhopalites ) and subsegments (13 versus up to 8 in Arrhopalites ) of Ant IV.

Troglopalites gen. nov. resembles genus Pygmarrhopalites by almost flat angle between trichobothria ABC and long antennae. The differences are: reduced small abdomen chaetotaxy, absence of FSa seta on fore and mid tibiotarsi (present in Pygmarrhopalites), position of p seta of Abd I (in Pygmarrhopalites it lies below the level of trichobothrium B), anterior dens chaetotaxy (5 transversal rows of setae versus 4 in Pygmarrhopalites), globular shape of mucro tip, indistinct separation between subsegments of Ant IV.

From both known genera of the family Arrhopalitidae Troglopalites gen. nov. differs by (1) much reduced Abd VI chaetotaxy and (2) combination of ‘ pygmaeus ’ type of trichobothrial pattern (ABC = ~ 170o) + ‘ caecus ’ type of Abd I seta p position (on or above the level of trichobothrium B).