Collophora greensladeae Medeiros, Santos & Bellini, 2025

Collophora greensladeae Medeiros, Santos & Bellini sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , Table 1 View Table 1

Type material.

• Holotype female on slide. Brazil, Piauí state, Altos municipality, “Floresta Nacional de Palmares” ( National Forest of Palmares ) ( 5°3'12.53"S, 42°35'36.95"W), in sandy soil, Cerrado biome, 06/IV/2022, Mesquita C. P. col., pitfall traps GoogleMaps . Paratypes on slides: three males with the same data as the holotype GoogleMaps . The holotype and two paratypes are deposited at CC/UFRN, and one paratype is deposited at INPA.

Diagnosis.

Purple, with two longitudinal brownish stripes on the large abdomen. Ant. IV with 5–6 subsegments, with ciliated external chaetae. Labral chaetae 5 / 5 / 4, three of them blunt and thick in line m. Bothriotrichum A in a large papilla, with two small surrounding sensilla, bothriotrichum D in a large papilla with three small surrounding sensilla. Parafurcal area with 5 + 5 regular chaetae. Small abdomen of the female with ms 1 and ps 1 regular, ps 2 as a serrated chaeta, with 2 + 2 dorsal (mps 2–3) and 1 + 1 ventral (mi 3) winged chaetae, plus 2 + 2 ventral thick chaetae. Trochanteral regular chaetae (disregarding the trochanteral organ) formula as 3 / 2 / 2 in legs I – III, respectively. Femur I with two curved and transversal spines. Ungues I – III with the internal tooth, tunica absent in males and unguis I of females, present or absent in unguis II of females, and present in unguis III of females. Unguiculi I – III without the inner tooth. Ventral tube with 1 + 1 chaetae. Tenaculum with one chaeta. Manubrium with 4 + 4 chaetae. Dens with a basal appendage and with eight dorsal chaetae, four of them (IIpe, Ip – IIIp) as spines.

Description.

Body (head + trunk) length of the type series ranging between 242.45 μm and 542.94 μm, holotype with 542.94 μm, male average size = 264.19 μm, entire type series average size = 333.88 μm. Living specimens somewhat brownish, fixed specimens almost entirely purplish, with two longitudinal brownish stripes on the large abdomen (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).

Head (Fig. 2 A – D View Figure 2 ). Antennae length 318.5 μm in the holotype, shorter than body (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ). Type series antennal segment ratio I: II: III: IV as 1: 1.7: 2: 5.9. Ant. IV with 5–6 subsegments (six in the holotype), chaetotaxy pattern with six subsegments as (from basis to apex): subsegment I (basal) with 8–9, II with five, III with seven, IV with eight, V with 10, VI with 15 chaetae, respectively (Fig. 2 A View Figure 2 ); chaetotaxy pattern with five subsegments as: subsegment I with 14, II with seven, III with eight, IV (apical) with 10, and V with 15 chaetae, respectively. At least all external chaetae of Ant. IV ciliated (Fig. 2 A View Figure 2 ), possibly more, but unclear due to specimens’ size. Ant. III with 10 chaetae other than the sensory rods, one of them smaller and spiniform, sensory rods inside a single shallow cavity (Fig. 2 A View Figure 2 ). Ant. II with eight chaetae (Fig. 2 A View Figure 2 ). Ant. I with six chaetae (Fig. 2 A View Figure 2 ). Holotype antennae and head ratio as 1: 0.8. Eyes 4 + 4, with one interocular chaeta, head capsule normal (not elongated) (Fig. 2 B View Figure 2 ). Clypeal area a – f lines with 6 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 4 / 1 dorsal + ventral chaetae combined, respectively, 2 + 2 zones without cuticular granulation next to f line (Fig. 2 B View Figure 2 ). Interantennal area α and γ lines with 1 / 1 chaetae, respectively, frontal area A – E lines following the formula: 1 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 2, respectively, cephalic unpaired chaetae absent (Fig. 2 B View Figure 2 ). Six prelabral chaetae present (Fig. 2 B, C View Figure 2 ); labral p, m, and a lines with 5, 5, 4 chaetae, respectively, three of them blunt and thick in line m (Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 ). Labial basal chaetae reduced, basomedian field with three, basolateral field with three chaetae, respectively (Fig. 2 D View Figure 2 ). Mandibles normal (not elongated), with 5 + 4 incisive apical teeth. Maxilla capitulum spherical, without any clear modifications. Labial papillae formula and guards unclear due to specimens’ size.

Trunk (Fig. 3 A – D View Figure 3 ). Large abdomen: Thorax and Abd. I with marked dorsal segmentations. Th. II with one a and one m small chaetae; Th. III with one a sensillum on an invagination, plus one m and one p small chaetae; Abd. I with one a and one m small chaetae; Abd. II with bothriotricha A, B, and C long and aligned. Bothriotrichum A in a large papilla, with four a, three m, and two p chaetae near the bothriotricha, two of them as small sensilla surrounding A bothriotrichum. Abd. III – V with bothriotrichum D in a large papilla plus 11–12 dorsal chaetae and three small sensilla surrounding the bothriotrichum, plus three lateral chaetae next to bothriotrichum C (Fig. 3 A View Figure 3 ). Large abdomen chaetotaxy of males similar to females. Parafurcal area with five regular chaetae and a neosminthuroid chaeta in both sexes (Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 ). Small abdomen: including only Abd. VI in both sexes. Female Abd. VI: dorsal anal valve with as 2–3, ams 2, ms 1–4, mps 1–3, and ps 1–2 chaetae, ms 1 and ps 1 unpaired, ms 1 and mps 1 as large chaetae, mps 2–3 as winged chaetae, ps 2 serrated; each ventrolateral anal valve with aai 1, ai 1–6, mi 1–5, mpi 1–2, and pi 1–3 chaetae, mi 5 as the subanal appendage, short (not reaching the apex of the ventrolateral anal valve), thick, smooth and pointed, mpi 1–2 as large chaetae, mpi 2 in a papilla, mi 3 as a winged chaeta (Fig. 3 C View Figure 3 ). Male Abd. VI: dorsal anal valve with as 2–3, ams 2, ms 1–4, and ps 1–2 chaetae, ms 1 and ps 1 unpaired; each ventrolateral anal valve with ai 1–2, mi 1–5 and pi 1–3 chaetae, none of them remarkably modified (Fig. 3 D View Figure 3 ). Male genital plate with 7 + 7 chaetae (Fig. 3 E View Figure 3 ), female genital plate unclear.

Abdominal appendages (Fig. 4 A, B View Figure 4 ). Ventral tube with 1 + 1 chaetae on the lateral flaps, sacs short and warty. Tenaculum ramus with three teeth each plus an apically rounded basal appendix, corpus with a single apical chaeta. Manubrium with 4 + 4 dorsal chaetae (Fig. 4 A View Figure 4 ). Dens dorsally with one basal appendage and eight (posterior) chaetae (Ipe – IIpe, Bpe, Ip – IIIp, Bp and Ipi), four of them modified into spines (Fig. 4 A View Figure 4 ); dens ventrally (anteriorly) with four chaetae, following the formula from the apex to the basis: 3 ... 1 (Fig. 4 B View Figure 4 ). Mucro long, without the apical notch, external and internal lamella serrated, external with about 14 and internal with about 11 serrations, respectively (Fig. 4 B View Figure 4 ). Manubrium: dens: mucro ratio of the holotype = 1: 2.2: 1.

Legs (Fig. 4 C – H View Figure 4 ). Leg I: epicoxa, coxa, and subcoxa without chaetae; trochanter with three chaetae and no trochanteral organ (Fig. 4 C View Figure 4 ); femur with two curved and transversal spines and six regular chaetae (Fig. 4 C View Figure 4 ); tibiotarsus with 27 chaetae, nine of them in the apical whorl (Fig. 4 D View Figure 4 ); pretarsus with one anterior and one posterior chaetae, the anterior longer than the posterior one, unguis with one internal and two pairs of lateral teeth, without tunica or pseudonychia in both sexes, unguiculus without tooth, apical filament thin and surpassing the tip of the unguis (Fig. 4 D View Figure 4 ). Leg II: epicoxa and subcoxa without chaetae, coxa with one chaeta; trochanter with two regular chaetae and one trochanteral organ with a roundish alveolus (Fig. 4 E View Figure 4 ); femur with one short, curved, somewhat spiniform and seven regular chaetae (Fig. 4 E View Figure 4 ); tibiotarsus with 27 chaetae, nine of them in the apical whorl (Fig. 4 F View Figure 4 ); pretarsus with one anterior and one posterior chaetae, the anterior longer than the posterior one, unguis with one internal and two pairs of lateral teeth, females with or without tunica, males without tunica, pseudonychia absent in both sexes, unguiculus without tooth, apical filament thin and surpassing the tip of the unguis (Fig. 4 F View Figure 4 ). Leg III: epicoxa and subcoxa without chaetae, coxa with one chaeta; trochanter with two regular chaetae and one trochanteral organ with a roundish alveolus (Fig. 4 G View Figure 4 ); femur with one small sensillum and six regular chaetae (Fig. 4 G View Figure 4 ); tibiotarsus with 28 chaetae, nine of them in the apical whorl (Fig. 4 H View Figure 4 ); pretarsus with one anterior and one posterior chaetae, the anterior longer than the posterior one, unguis with one internal and two pairs of lateral teeth, females with, males without tunica, pseudonychia absent in both sexes, unguiculus without tooth, apical filament thin and surpassing the tip of the unguis (Fig. 4 H View Figure 4 ). Ratio of ungues I – III in the holotype = 1: 1: 1.25.

Etymology.

The new species is named in honor of Dr. Penelope Greenslade, who has made many valuable contributions to the knowledge of Collembola.

Habitat.

Specimens of Collophora greensladeae sp. nov. were collected within shaded forested areas with rocky soil covered by some gravel and dead foliage. The collection site was the National Forest of Palmares, in Altos municipality, Piauí state, northeastern Brazil, within the limits of the Cerrado biome, with some level of influence of the Caatinga and Amazon biomes. It is the same type locality as the recently described Szeptyckitheca andrzeji Medeiros, Bellini & Weiner, 2023 , and a full description of the area is detailed in Bellini et al. (2023 a).

Remarks.

Collophora greensladeae sp. nov. resembles other South American species, such as C. terrabrasilis Zeppelini & Brito, 2013 , and C. remanei Delamare-Deboutteville & Massoud, 1964 a , in having the female anal valve chaetae ms 1 and ps 1 as regular chaetae and eight dorsal chaetae on the dens. However, it differs from these species in several key characteristics, especially the following: the absence of blunt chaetae on Ant. IV (present in C. remanei ); the presence of ciliated chaetae on Ant. IV (absent in C. remanei and C. terrabrasilis ); the presence of 2 / 3 sensilla near bothriotricha A and D, respectively (vs. 1 / 2 in C. terrabrasilis , unknown in C. remanei ); a serrated female anal valve chaeta ps 2 (vs. normal in C. terrabrasilis ); 2 + 2 and 1 + 1 winged chaetae on the dorsal and ventrolateral anal valves, respectively (vs. 3 + 3 and 2 + 2 in C. remanei , and absent from both valves in C. terrabrasilis ); and a dorsal dens with four spines (three in C. terrabrasilis , none in C. remanei ).

The new species is also somewhat similar to C. sudanica Hüther, 1967 , in overall color pattern, labral chaetotaxy, female anal valve ms 1 as a regular chaeta and ps 2 serrated, and the presence of 2 + 2 winged dorsal chaetae. However, the new species can be distinguished by several characters: Ant. IV divided into 5–6 subsegments (undivided in C. sudanica ); bothriotricha A and D each with two and three surrounding sensilla, respectively (one and zero in C. sudanica , respectively); the presence of 1 + 1 winged chaetae on the female ventrolateral anal valve (vs. 3 + 3 in C. sudanica ); a manubrium with 4 + 4 chaetae (vs. 3 + 3 in C. sudanica ); and a dens with eight dorsal chaetae, four of which are spines (vs. nine dorsal chaetae, five spines, in C. sudanica ). For further comparisons, see Table 1 View Table 1 .