Corresponding author: Louis Deharveng (
Academic editor: Wanda Weiner
Two new species of
Among the large amount of samples recently collected in the Western Cape Province in the frame of the Franco-South African PROTEA project “Uncovering Springtail Diversity in the South African Cape Floristic Region: a combined taxonomic and barcoding approach”, we retrieved representatives of the three cited genera, including new
Distribution of
Type deposit – Iziko Museum (Cape Town, South Africa) Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France)
Chaetal arrangement and notation follow
Abbreviations used in species descriptions and tables:
Tubercles and chaetal groups – antenno-frontal clypeal dorso-external dorso-internal dorso-lateral lateral ocular subocular ventro-lateral ventro-external ventro-internal antegenital anal
Appendages – coxa femur furcal rest subcoxa 2 tibiotarsus trochanter ventral tube
Types of chaetae – macrochaeta mesochaeta microchaeta S-chaeta (“sensillum” s-microchaeta
Others – ommatidia abdominal segment antennal segment thoracic segment
1 | Three eyes on each side of the head, body bluish in colour | |
– | Two eyes on each side of the head, body not blue | 2 |
2 | Central area of head with 3 tubercles | |
– | Central area of head with 2 tubercles | |
3 | Dorso-internal tubercle of tergites from Th. II to Abd. IV with at least two chaetae | 4 |
– | Dorso-internal tubercle of tergites with one chaeta from Th. II to Abd. IV | |
4 | Chaeta A absent on head | 5 |
– | Chaeta A present on head | 6 |
5* | Modified chaetae Ag on Abd. V of the male much shorter than lateral Ag, very thick, truncated, apically ciliated | |
– | Modified chaetae Ag on Abd. V of the male as long as lateral Ag, thin, pointed, with several unequal distal cilia | |
6 | Five chaetae on each central group of chaetae on head (1/2Af+Oc), chaeta D absent; one chaeta Di on Abd. V (Di2 absent); tubercles Di of Abd. V fused on axis | |
– | Six chaetae on each central group of chaetae on head (1/2Af+Oc), chaeta D present; two chaetae Di on Abd. V (Di2 present); tubercles Di of Abd. V separate |
Holotype female on slide. South Africa: Western Cape, Cape Town, Table Mountain National Park, 10/03/2009, native broadleaved forest, sieving of litter and extraction on Berlese funnel, Louis Deharveng and Anne Bedos leg (SAF-141).
8 paratypes on slides (3 males, 4 females, 1 juvenile) and more than 50 in alcohol, same data as holotype — 1 male on slide, ibid, Table Mountain, collapse of New Year cave system, 07/03/2009, native forest, litter, Berlese extraction, Louis Deharveng and Anne Bedos leg (SAF-129) — 1 male and 1 female on slides, ibid, Table Mountain, in a collapse, 10/03/2009, native forest, soil, Berlese extraction, Louis Deharveng and Anne Bedos leg (SAF-139) — 1 male and 1 female on slides, 5 specimens in alcohol, ibid, Table Mountain, Inchuk cave entrance, 10/03/2009, native forest, litter, Berlese extraction, Louis Deharveng and Anne Bedos leg (SAF-144).
Holotype, 6 paratypes on slides (3 males, 3 females) and 25 paratypes in alcohol in IM; 7 paratypes on slides (3 males, 3 females, 1 juv.) and 25 paratypes in alcohol in MNHN.
1 male on slide, 7 specimens in alcohol. South Africa: Western Cape, Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, Sosys trail, 12/03/2008, forest litter, Berlese extraction, Louis Deharveng and Anne Bedos leg (SAF-071) — 1 juvenile and 2 females on slides, ibid, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, Sosys trail, 12/08/2010, litter, Charlene Janion leg (RSA10_JNK026 and RSA10_JNK032,
Length 0.82 – 1.1 mm (males) and 0.75 – 0.85 mm (females). Colour white in alcohol, yellow alive (SAF-196 sample). Eyes 2+2, unpigmented, small (diameter about 1.5–1.8 times that of Ocm socket,
Ant. I with 7 chaetae, Ant. II with 11 chaetae, Ant. III with 16 or 17 chaetae (chaetae d4 and d5 or only d4 absent). Ant. IV organite as a short thick rod; apical bulb simple, low and fused to Ant. IV tip (
Head chaetotaxy as in Table 1A and
Tergite chaetotaxy as in Table 1B and
Microchaetae of furcal rest smaller than secondary granules, often unconspicuous (
The species name refers to its reduced chaetotaxy of dorso-internal tubercles of tergites, which bear only one chaeta from Th. II to Abd. IV (2 or 3 in other species of the genus).
All known localities of
The new species
The lateral shift of Di on Abd. V is one of the characteristic feature of two genera, the monotypic genus
Chaetotaxy of
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CL | (-) | 2 | M | F | |
2 | me | G | |||
1/2Af+Oc | (+) | 3 | M | B, Ocm, Ocp | |
2Di, 2De | (+) | 2+2 | M | Di1, De1 | |
DL, L, So | (-) | 5 | M | DL1, DL5, L1, L4, So1 | |
4 | me | So3 to 6 | |||
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Th. I | - | 1 | 1 | - | |
Th. II | 1 | 1+S | 1+S+ms | 3 | |
Th. III | 1 | 1+S | 1+S | 3 | |
Abd. I | 1 | 1+S | 1 | 2 | |
Abd. II | 1 | 1+S | 1 | 2 | |
Abd. III | 1 | 1+S | 1 | 2 | |
Abd. IV | 1 | 1+S | 1 | 5 | |
Abd. V | 3+S | 2 | |||
Abd. VI | 6 |
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Leg I | 0 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 18 |
Leg II | 2 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 18 |
Leg III | 2 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 17 |
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Abd. I | VT: 4 | ||||
Abd. II | Ve: 4 | (Ve1 present) | |||
Abd. III | Ve: 3 | Fu: 3-5me+3mi | |||
Abd. IV | Ve: 7 | VL: 4 | |||
Abd. V | Ag: 3 | VL: 1, with L | |||
Abd. VI | Ve: 12-13 | An: 2 mi |
* the ventralmost pair of chaetae is replaced by a unique uneven chaeta in some specimens
Holotype male on slide. South Africa: Western Cape, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Heidelberg, 24/08/2010, Southern Afrotemperate Forest vegetation, in litter, extraction on Berlese funnel, Charlene Janion leg (RSA10_GVB009,
1 male paratype on slide, same data as holotype — 2 paratypes on slides (1 male, 2 juveniles) and 5 paratypes in alcohol, ibid, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Heidelberg, 24/08/2010, same habitat, extraction on Berlese funnel, Charlene Janion leg (RSA10_GVB008,
Holotype and 4 paratypes (1 male and 1 juvenile on slides, 2 in alcohol) in IM; 5 paratypes (1 male and 1 juvenile on slides, 3 in alcohol) in MNHN.
Length 1.1–1.3 mm (males). Colour white in alcohol. Eyes 2+2, unpigmented, rather large (diameter about 3 times that of Ocm socket,
Ant. I with 7 chaetae, Ant. II with 11 chaetae, Ant. III with 18 chaetae (chaetae d4 and d5 present). Ant. IV organite as a very short thick rod; apical bulb feebly trilobed, fused to Ant. IV tip (
Head chaetotaxy as in Table 2A and
Tergite chaetotaxy as in Table 2B and
Microchaetae of furcal rest minute and thick, smaller than secondary granules (
This species is named in honour of Jean-Auguste Barra, for his important contribution to the knowledge of South African Collembola.
This species was collected in the yellowwood forest leaf litter of Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. This is a remnant forest of the larger Tsitsikamma Forest Reserve situated 300 km to the south. The forest consists of indigenous trees such as yellowwood, ironwood and stinkwood.
Chaetotaxy of
A-Cephalic chaetotaxy | |||||
Group of chaetae | Tubercle | Number of chaetae | Type of chaetae | Chaetae | |
CL | (-) | 2 | M | F | |
2 | me | G | |||
1/2Af+Oc | (+) | 4 | M | A, B, Ocm, Ocp | |
2 | me | D, Oca | |||
Di, De | (+) | 2 | M | Di1, De1 | |
2 | mi | Di2, De2 | |||
DL | (+) | 2 | M | DL1, DL5 | |
2 | me | DL3, DL4 | |||
1 | mi | DL2 | |||
L, So | (-) | 3 | M | L1, L4, So1 | |
5 | me | L2, So3 to 6 | |||
B-Tergite chaetotaxy | |||||
Di | De | DL | L | ||
Th. I | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | |
Th. II | 2-3 | 3+S | 3+S+ms | 3 | |
Th. III | 2-3 | 3+S | 3+S | 3 | |
Abd. I | 2 | 2+S | 2 | 3 | |
Abd. II | 2 | 2+S | 2 | 3 | |
Abd. III | 2 | 2+S | 2 | 3-4 | |
Abd. IV | 2 | 4+S | 6 | ||
Abd. V | 2 | 4+S | 3 | ||
Abd. VI | 7 | ||||
C-Leg chaetotaxy | |||||
Scx2 | Cx | Tr | Fe | Tita | |
Leg I | 0 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 18 |
Leg II | 2 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 18 |
Leg III | 2 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 17 |
D-Sternite chaetotaxy | |||||
Abd. I | VT: 4 | ||||
Abd. II | Ve: 4 | (Ve1 present) | |||
Abd. III | Ve: 3 | Fu: 4me+4mi | |||
Abd. IV | Ve: 7 | VL: 4 | |||
Abd. V | Ag: 3 | VL: 1, with L | |||
Abd. VI | Ve: 12-13 | An: 2 mi* |
* those of upper valve shift close to the chaetae of Abd. VI
We are grateful to CapeNature and SANParks for collecting permits. We thank Jacques Scheepers for field assistance and Vernon Visser for producing the map. This work was supported by the France-South Africa grant no. 68652 for L. Deharveng and A. Bedos, and the Centre for Invasion Biology for C. Janion.