Class Collembola Lubbock, 1870

Order Poduromorpha Börner, 1913

Family Neanuridae Börner, 1901

Neotropiella Handchin, 1942 in Handschin (1942)

Type species: Neotropiella silvestrii (Denis, 1929) from Cuba (Denis 1929).

Body length average (n = 14) 1.6 mm (range 1.25-2.25 mm). Colour in ethanol (Fig. 2): dark blue to dark purple, with yellow spots on tergites, paratergites and frontal head; eyepatches black; oral cone, legs and furcula lighter, but never white. (Fig. 2); distal antennae variably pigmented; body oval compressed dorso-ventrally; intersegments from Th I to Abd I and paratergal areas slightly developed. Microsetae 8-10 µm; macrosetae 45-50 µm; ss 50-55 µm.

a

b

Figure 2.

Neotropiella peruana sp. n.

a: Habitus  
b: Habitus  

Ratio head diagonal (275 µm): antenna (300 µm) = 1:1.3. Ant I (64 µm) with 9 setae, Ant II (80 µm) with 12 setae, Ant III and IV (Fig. 3) fused dorsally (156 µm) and ventrally well separated (Fig. 4). Ratio Ant. I: II; III-IV = 1:1.1; 2.7. Sensorial organ of Ant III apically displaced to Ant IV, with 2 large tubular sensilla in a single groove slightly bending towards each other, under a large cuticular fold (Figs 3, 5), 2 longer and subcylindrical guard sensilla; Sgd thicker and longer than Sgv, ventral m’ present. Ant IV with trilobed apical bulb, 6-7 sensilla and setae “i” small and thin (Figs 3, 6), dorsolateral ms and “or” present. Ventral side of Ant IV with about 65-116 small modified setae (average 87), forming a large sensorial file that covers almost the whole ventre of segment (Figs 4, 7).

Figure 3.  

Ant III-IV dorsal view.

Figure 4.  

Ant III-IV ventral view.

Figure 5.  

Ant III sensorial organ.

Figure 6.  

Ant IV dorsal view.

Figure 7.  

Ant. IV ventral file.

Eyes 5+5 on a black eye patch (Fig. 8) about 27 - 35 µm diameter each. PAO elliptical, moruliform, slightly shorter than ocellus A (25 - 30 µm), bearing 26 – 28 simple vesicles on average (Figs 8, 9). Labrum with 0/2,4,4 setae (Fig. 10). Maxilla styliform with three lamellae, two partially fused with a small apical hook (Figs 11, 12), other acuminate with apex twisted; mandible with 4 teeth, basal tooth stronger than other teeth (Fig. 13). Buccal cone typical of the genus. Labium bearing setae A–G, (Figs 14, 15), lateral d, e and f and a tiny tuberculate apical seta L only visible under high magnification.

Figure 8.  

PAO and eyes.

Figure 9.  

PAO and closest eyes.

Figure 10.  

Labrum.

Figure 11.  

Maxilla.

Figure 12.  

Labrum and maxilla apex.

Figure 13.  

Mandible.

Figure 14.  

Labium chaetotaxy

Figure 15.  

Labrum and maxilla in latero-ventral view.

Dorsal chaetotaxy with heterochaetosis (Figs 16, 17), composed of smooth microsetae (8-12 µm) macrosetae (45-50 µm) and long sensorial setae (50-60 µm), no plurichaetosis. Demitergite sensillar formula by half tergum from Th I to Abd VI as 022/111110. Ratio microseta: sensilla = 1: 6. Th I with 4 + 4 dorsal microsetae and 1 lateral. Th II to Abd V demitergites Di/De/DL fields with 33/33342; De 44/3333; DL 22/4445 setae, respectively. Th II–III chaetotaxy similar, with 3+3 setae on a row (a1, a4 and a6), 4+4 on m row (m4, m5–m7) and 4+4 on p row (p1, p2, p4, p5); Th. II–III sensorial sensilla as p4 and m7; lateral microsensillum (ms) present on Th II. Abd I–III chaetotaxy similar, with 3+3 setae on a row (a1, a4 and a6), 3+3 on m row (m2, m4–m7) and 5+5 on p row (p1, p4, p5, p6), sensorial setae as p5. Abd. IV chaetotaxy with 3+3 setae on a row (a1, a4, a6), 3+3 on m row (m1, m2, m4) and 5+5 on p row (p1, p2, p4, p5, p6), sensorial setae as p5. Abd V main chaetotaxy with 2+2 setae on a row (a1, a4) and 4+4 on p row (p1, p3, p4, p6), sensorial seta p3. Abd. VI with unpaired microseta p0 and no macrosetae. Chaetotaxy of legs from Scx1 to Tita: 1,2,2; 0,2,2; 2,8,7; 5,5,5; 12,11,11; 19,19,18 (proximal verticil with M seta). No clavate tenent hairs on tibiotarsi (Fig. 18); femora with a long ventral seta. Unguis with 1 inner tooth and 2 + 2 lateral moderately long teeth and sometimes a pair of tiny small distal teeth. Unguis very elongated (70-84 µm) almost as long tibiotarsus III (91 µm). Ventral tube with 4+4 setae (third pair of setae longer than others on each side). Abd II to V ventrally with 3+3, 8-9 + 8-9; 8+8; 5+5 setae. Tenaculum with three teeth on each ramus (Fig. 19). Furcula present: manubrium (187 µm) with 14-15 pairs posterior setae; dens (85-111 µm) about two times the length of mucro, with 6+6 short setae; posterior surface with strong granulation (Fig. 20), anterior surface smooth at the base and large grooves in middle and distal part (Fig. 21); mucro (40-62 µm) with two greatly developed and enlarged lamella tapering before the apex, which is elongated and slightly hooked (Figs 20, 21). Each anal valve with 13–15 setae and 2 setae hr. Genital plate of female with 3 + 3 pregenital setae, 8-10 circumgenital and 2 eugenital (Fig. 22); male with 3 + 3 pregenital, 18 circumgenital and 5 + 5 modified eugenital setae (Fig. 23). Three anal vesicles (Fig. 24).

Figure 16.  

Head and thorax chaetotaxy.

Figure 17.  

Abdominal chaetotaxy.

Figure 18.  

Tibiotarsus III and unguis.

Figure 19.  

Tenaculum.

Figure 20.  

Dens and mucro, posterior view.

Figure 21.  

Dens and mucro, anterior view.

Figure 22.  

Ventral Abd. V-VI and female genital plate.

Figure 23.  

Genital plate of male.

Figure 24.  

Anal vesicles.

Neotropiella peruana sp. nov. is characterised by the combination of a ventral sensorial field on Ant IV with about 100 modified setae, small body size (1.2-2.2 mm) and small number of vesicles in the postantennal organ (26-28 in average). Mandibles have 4 teeth and maxillae with 2 lamella, 1 acuminate and 1 hooked. Th I with 4 pairs of smooth microsetae and Di area on Th II and III with 3 setae. 1 + 1 lateral tooth on unguis besides the inner 1 and often 1 + 1 subapical tooth.