Corresponding author: José G. Palacios-Vargas (
Academic editor: L. Deharveng
A new species of
Palacios-Vargas JG, Salazar Martínez AE (2014) A new species of
Specimens were obtained from soils samples that were processed by Berlese-Tullgreen funnels and preserved in 75% alcohol. Later, slides were prepared in Hoyer’s solution. Specimens were studied and measured with a phase contrast microscope.
Abbreviations: Most of the abbreviations and terminology follows = Buenos Aires = Córdoba = Entre Ríos = La Pampa = Neuquén = Tucumán
Body white (without pigment); Ant. IV without an extremely large apical papilla. Tibiotarsi without clavated setae (seldom few weakly developed ones); Ant. III organ with a maximum of 5 elements including 2-3 large sensory clubs, two of them bent towards one another; Abd. VI without crescentic ridges and additional dorso-lateral spines. Th. I-III with 1, 1-2, 1-2 pseudocelli of type I (after
Type locality: Argentina: Bs As: Punta Lara,
Holotype. Female mounted on slide. Original label: 5404/1 deposited at Colección División Entomología, Museo de la Plata. Paratypes: 2 females paratypes, 2 males paratypes, all of them mounted on slides. Original label: 5404/2-4 deposited at Colección División Entomología, Museo de la Plata. 6 females, 4 males and 11 juvenil paratypes with the same collecting data are kept at senior’s author institution with catalog number 2436.
Ant. III organ with 3 thick curved dorsal sensilla, one ventral sensillum; 6 dorsal sensilla on Ant. IV; about 72 vesicles on postantennal organ; pseudocellar formulae 11/122/22221: one minute empodial appendix, two slightly clavate tenent hairs ventrally on each tibiotarsus.
Body length (n=12) 1.2 mm (range 0.83–1.4 mm), with moderately long macrosetae 61 µm (range 56–66), and short microsetae 18 µm (range 15–23), all of them smooth and thin. Relatively uniformly distributed fine intergumentary granules, interspersed with somewhat coarser granules on Abd. VI. Antennal bases well delimited.
Ratio head: antenna = 1: 0.8. The relative lengths of Ant. I: II; III; IV are as 1: 1.6; 1.9; 1.8. Ant. III and IV fused dorsally (80 µm). Sense organ of Ant. III with two small sensory rods concealed behind one of the two integumentary folds; in addition there are three thick sensilla clubs, which are rounded at tip; two strongly bend towards each other and not concealed by cuticule. At bases of cuticle, the third sensillum concealed by one tegumentary fold. There is a ventral straight sensillum protected by three setae longer than other ventral setae. Ant. IV furnished with 6 sensilla, 3 of them very thin and long, three thick and short, one distinct subapical pit, one microsensillum and one slightly trilobed apical bulb (
Legs chaetotaxy from I to III, coxae, 2,7,7; trochanters 5,5,5; femora, 9,9,9 (each with one ventral acuminate tenent hair); tibiotarsi (13,13,12), each with 2 ventral slightly clavate tenent hairs). Tibiotarsi short, 28 µm (range 22–31). Pretarsus with two setae each. Ungues untoothed. Empodial appendage rudimentary, in shape of a minute claw-like process (
Dorsal chaetotaxy of thorax and abdomen in
Ventral tube with 6 + 6 setae (4 + 4 distal and 2 + 2 basal setae,
Dorsal chaetotaxy of
Thorax | Abdomen | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
row | I | II | III | I | II | III | IV | V |
a | - | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
m | - | 8 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
p | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 4 |
pl | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
* Missing m2,
** m4 present,
*** one medial setae on row m.
The new species is named in memory of Dr. Alcira Bischoff, soil fauna researcher from Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tenent hairs are very slightly capitated and often leg one has one capitated and one acuminate tenent hairs.
1 | No pseudocelli, pigment, eyes, unguiculus or furcula present | |
1’ | With pseudocelli on head and body | 2 |
2 | Sensilla of Ant. III are completely free and not protected by one cuticular fold | 3 |
2’ | Sensilla of Ant. III protected by one cuticular fold | 4 |
3 | Postantennal organ is round and with about 60 vesicles | |
3’ | Postantennal organ elliptical, with more than 60 vesicles | |
4 | Abd. VI dorsally with 6 or 8 strong spines, or spine-like processes | |
4’ | Abd-VI dorsally with only 2 or 4 spines | 5 |
5 | True pseudocelli present, there are 4 spines dorsally on Abd. VI | 15 |
5’ | No real pseudocelli present, only 2 spines on Abd. VI | |
6 | Ant. IV with four sensilla, pseudocelli on all abdominal segments | |
6’ | Ant. IV with three sensilla, pseudocelli absent on Abb. II and III | |
7 | Abd. IV seta P1 is a microseta | |
7’ | Abd. IV seta P1 is a macroseta | 8 |
8 | Abd. IV seta m5 present, Abd.VI seta l’2 present in the anal lobe | |
8’ | Abd. IV seta m5 absent, Abd.VI seta l’2 absent | |
9 | PAO elongated with 22–24 vesicles, apical bulb of Ant. IV with 2 or 3 lobes, maximum length 1.8 mm | |
9‘ | PAO triangular with 12–15 vesicles, apical bulb of Ant. IV mushroom-shaped, maximum length 1.1 mm | |
10 | Abd. I-IV, at most with one pair of pseudocelli on each side, Ant. IV with 3-5 sensilla | 11 |
10’ | Abd. I-IV, with two pairs of pseudocelli on each side | 12 |
11 | Th. I without pseudocelli, OPA with 40–50 vesicles in three or four rows | |
11’ | Th. I with one pair of pseudocelli, OPA with 30 vesicles | |
12 | Ant. IV with six sensilla | |
12’ | Ant. IV with less than six sensilla | 13 |
13 | Ant. IV with 4 sensilla, OPA with more than 100 vesicles | |
13’ | Ant. IV with 5 sensilla, OPA with less than 70 vesicles | 14 |
14 | Abd. IV with 4 setae between anterior pseudocelli. OPA with 30-50 vesicles | |
14’ | Abd. IV with 2 short setae between anterior pseudocelli. OPA with 34-63 vesicles | |
15 | Abd. VI with four real posterior anal spines of the same size, PAO with 60 vesicles in two rows | |
15’ | Abd. VI with 1 + 1 dorsolateral small spines in front of the posterior pair of anal spines, PAO with (38) 40–(45)50 vesicles in 2–3 rows |
We thank the International Exchange office of the UNAM (Dirección General de Cooperación e Internacionalización) for the support of this project.
Project N638 Secretaría de Investigación y Ciencia, UNLP. Blanca E. Mejía assisted in mounting technique and Elihú Catalán (Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM) made drawings under the contrast-face microscope. María de Jesús Martínez prepared the final plates of illustrations.