Morulina nucifera, Palacios-Vargas, José G. & Gao, Yan, 2013

Palacios-Vargas, José G. & Gao, Yan, 2013, Study on the genus Morulina (Collembola: Neanuridae) with description of a new species from Northwest China, Zootaxa 3702 (2), pp. 179-186 : 182-185

Morulina nucifera sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–13)

Material examined. Type specimens all from North China, Ningxia Province, Liupan Mountain Nature Reserve. Holotype, female, Jingyuan, Erlonghe, Xiaonanchuan Forest Protection Area (35°23' N, 106°17' E; 2,163 m alt.), ex rotten tree stump, 09.vii.2008, Y. Bu and C.W. Huang leg. Four paratypes: 2 preadult, Longtan Forest Farm (35°22' N, 106°20' E; 1,981 m alt.), ex soil under bush, 7.VII.2008, 1 preadult female, 1 preadult male, Woyangchuan Forest Protection Area (35°39' N, 106°23' E; 1,762 m alt.), ex humus from clinosol, 29.vi.2008, Y. Bu and C.W. Huang leg.

Holotype and 1 paratype are deposited at Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, China and three paratypes at Laboratorio de Ecología y Sistemática de Microartrópodos, UNAM, México.

Other material examined: 1 male, NW China, Shaanxi Province, Langao, ex litter and soil of one cave, 27.ix.1997, Kishimoto leg.

2 juveniles, N China, Ningxia Province, Liupan Mountain Nature Reserve, Jingyuan, Longtan Forest Farm (35°22' N, 106°20' E; 1,981 m alt.), ex soil under bush, 7.vii.2008, Y. Bu and C.W. Huang leg.; 1 juvenile, Woyangchuan Forest Protection Area (35°39' N, 106°23' E; 1762 m alt.), ex humus, 29.vi.2008, Y. Bu and C.W. Huang leg.; 2 juveniles, Jingyuan, Qiuqianjia Forest Farm (35°33' N, 106°24' E; 1,868 m alt.), ex moist soil, 06.vii.2008, Y. Bu and C.W. Huang leg.

2 juveniles, Fengtai Forest Farm (35°35' N, 106°13' E; 2,408 m alt.), ex forest litter, 25–26.vi.2008, Y. Bu and C.W. Huang leg.; 1 juvenile, Sutai Forest Farm (35°26'N, 106°14'E; 2274 m alt.), ex soil of silver birch forest, 22.vi.2008, Y. Bu and C.W. Huang leg.

Description. Length (n = 7) 2.1 mm (range: 1.9–2.5 mm). Colour black-blue, ventrally dark grey. Tubercles with dark pigment and subcuticular reticulation. Eye patches dark. Habitus convex, typical of the genus. Macrosetae (MB) with blunt tips and fine serration (thick barbulate setae vary from 42 to 226 µm), microsetae (m) thin and smooth (about 40 µm) and sensorial setae of medium size (62–105 µm).

Ant. I with 9 setae, 2–3 thick and heavy ciliate, others very slightly ciliate or smooth, and few subcuticular reticulations; Ant. II with 15 setae, 2 long thick and heavy ciliate, 2–3 long and slightly ciliate, others shorter and smooth. Ant. III and IV dorsally fused, sensorial organ of Ant. III with Sgv and Sgd similar, 2 globular microsensilla on a separate dorso–lateral groove and ventral microsensillum very close to Sgv ( Fig. 2 ). Ant. IV with 6 sensilla and about 25 large smooth setae; subapical bulb small, trilobed and micro sensorial apical organ present ( Fig. 2 ). Ventral “file” well developed, with about 50 short setae. Labrum with 4/2,5,4 smooth setae of different sizes ( Fig. 3 ). Buccal cone long ( Fig. 7 ), labium with 11 pairs of setae, labial organ, setae A and L absent. Labral sclerotification, with 2 lateral protuberances ( Fig. 9 ). Mandible with 7 teeth ( Fig. 5 ), maxilla elongate with 2 lamellae, one with 2 small hooked teeth ( Fig. 6 ).

With 5 + 5 eyes on a black patch, ocular tubercle with 3 ocular setae, Oca is microseta, Ocm and Ocp are barbulate macrosetae ( Fig. 4 ). Postantennal organ moruliform with about 140 tubercles, slightly broader than the most proximal eye. External tubercles of PAO, close to surrounding cuticle bigger and ellipse in shape ( Fig. 4 ).

Clypeal tubercle with 2 BM and 2 smooth microsetae. Antennal tubercles isolated each with 2 BM, one microseta and one additional barbulate setae out of the tubercle. Frontal tubercle with 2 BM. Cephalic dorsal Di and De fused, with 5 BM, Dl tubercle with 3 BM and 2 m, lateral and subocular tubercles fused with 12 setae: 5–7 BM and 5– 7 m. Head, thoraxic and abdominal chaetotaxy is shown in Fig. 1 and tables 1–2.

Setal group Tubercles Number of setae Type of setae Setal name Subcoxae with 0, 3, 3 setae. Coxae with 3, 9, 8 setae, trochanters with 6, 6, 6 setae; femora with 12, 12, 11 setae for I, II, III legs respectively. Tibiotarsi I, II and III with 19, 19 and 18 setae respectively, two long, ventral, proximal setae slightly curved ( Fig. 7 ), no tenent hairs ( Table 2 ). Unguis with one strong basal tooth. No empodial appendage.

Weak hypertrichosis. Number of tubercles from Th. I to Abd. VI on half tergites: 4,4,4/4,4,4,4,2,1 ( Fig. 1). Tubercles with few microsetae. Ventral tube with 8–10 pairs of setae ( Fig. 10 ). Sternite II with 5–6 pairs of ventral external setae. Sternite III with 10–12 pairs of ventral external setae. Anal tubercle with 18 setae and 3 microsetae ( Fig. 13 ). Furcal vestige with 7 + 3 setae pairs, dens with three setae, without mucro ( Fig. 13 ). Pregenital setae very abundant. Female with about 15 pregenital setae, 12–16 circumgenital setae and 2+2 eugenital setae ( Fig. 11 ); male with about 19 pregenital setae, 48 circumgenital setae and 4 + 4 eugenital setae ( Fig. 12 ).

Terga legs Variation. There is variation of the number of sensilla on Ant. IV depending of the age of the specimens, only one present in juveniles, and from 5 to 6 in adults. Also, the number of setae of ventral tube varies from 8 to 12 on each side. One specimen lacked ocular microsetae Oca ( Fig. 4 ).

Etymology. The species is named for the shape of the moruliform postantenal organ, which has similar as the flower of lotus: Nelumbo nucifera (Nelumbonaceae) .

M. stevehopkini ?/688/8886?? 5 6–9 6–7 8–9 9 1

M. nucifera sp. nov. 12/888/ 7 5 3 5 8–10 3 888842

M. delicata 12/888/ 5 5–6 3 8 6–7 4 888822

Diagnosis. The new species is close to M. orientis Tanaka from Japan and M. himalayana Cassagnau from Nepal, the head of all three species have 12 tubercles. It is also similar to M. stevehopkini and to M. pawlowski in the small number of setae on the dorsointernal tubercle of thorax I. But, Morulina nucifera sp. nov. is easy to separate from similar species because of the more fully developed tubercle formula of 12/6,8,8/8,8,8,8,4,2 and the frontal cephalic tubercle has two setae. It also is similar to M. delicata in the number of tubercles on Th. I. Other differences between Morulina nucifera sp. nov. and similar species are given in Table 3 . Differences with P. nuda, are the generic characteristics of Promorulina, which lacks tubercles in Di and De areas of each segment, short and smooth setae. Specific differences are the number of setae on cephalic Di-De tubercle (5 versus 6) and on Di tubercle of Th. I (5 versus 4), the size of the P. nuda, about twice the length of M. nucifera sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 8. Morulina nucifera sp. nov. 2, Ant. III and IV in dorsal view. 3, labralchaetotaxy. 4, ocular area and postantennal organ with magnification. 5, mandible. 6, maxilla. 7, left half of labium. 8, tibiotarsus III in lateral view, not all ventral setae shown.

FIGURES 9 – 13. Morulina nucifera sp. nov. 9, sclerotification of labrum. 10, right half of ventral tube. 11, genital plate of female. 12, genital plate of male. 13, chaetotaxy of abdominal segments IV – VI in ventral view with magnification of furcal vestige.

Tables

TABLE 2. Body chaetotaxy of Morulina nucifera sp. nov.

Thorax	Di De Dl	L	Scx2	Cx Tr	Fe	Ti
I	3BM+2m 5–7BM 5BM+1m or 4BM+2m	5BM	0	3 6	12	19
II	5BM 4BM, m, s 5BM, 2m, s	5BM+2m	3	9 6	12	19
III	5BM 5BM, m, s 5BM, 2m, s	4–5BM, 2–4m (total 7)	3	6 6	11	18
Abdomen	Terga		Sterna
I	5BM 4–5BM, m, s 3BM, 2m	4–7BM, 2–4m (total 7–9)	VT	8–10
II	5BM 3BM, 2m, s 4BM, 2m	6–7BM, 3–4m (total 10)	Ve	5 –6	Vl	-
III	5BM, m 5BM, s 4BM, 2m	3BM, 9m	Ve	10–12	Fu	3
IV	5BM 4BM, 2m, s 5BM, 7m	4–5Bm, 7–8m (total 12)	Ve	7	Vl	7
V	6–8BM, 3–5m, s (total 12) 4–5BM, 8–9m (total 13)		Ag	4	Vl	-
VI	4–5BM, 9–10m (total 14)		Ve	18	An	3mi

TABLE 3. Comparative table of Morulina nucifera sp. nov. and similar species.

Species	Number tubercles	of Mandibular teeth	Th. I Di setae Oc setae	Cephalic Di+De setae	VT pairs of Dental setae setae
M. himalayana	12/688/ 888822	6	4–7 3	8–10	5 2
M. orientis	12/688/ 888842	5	4–5 3	8–10	7–8 3–4
M. pawlowski	11/688/ 888842	5	4–5 3	7	8–9 4