Skadisotoma inpericulosa Greenslade & Fjellberg, 2015, sp.nov
Creators: name: Greenslade, Penelope
name: Fjellberg, Arne
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Entognatha
Collembola
Isotomidae
Skadisotoma
Skadisotoma inpericulosa

description: Skadisotoma inpericulosa sp.nov
Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Type material. Holotype SAMA I 22638: Adult in alcohol (1.6 mm, sex not specified) VICTORIA, Baker's Snow Patch, - 36.84176o S, 147.33351o E, 1874 m a.s.l, with Celmisia pugioniformis (Asteraceae), 10.xi.2012, pitfalls, leg. Y. Endo. Paratypes: 8 specimens (4 ad., 4 juv.) in alcohol, from the same locality and date as holotype; 11 specimens on three slides from same sample. Holotype and paratypes housed in the South Australian Museum.
Other material examined. VICTORIA: Mt Nelse, -36o 50' 39¨S, 147o 20.35E', 10.xi.2012, 1894 m asl, pitfalls 26 individuals, 3 slides, leg. M. Nash; Bogong High Plains 24.xi.2012, 36o 55' 26"S 147o 17' 41"E pitfalls, 1892 m asl, 1 slide, leg. J. Drummond; Mt Bogong, - 36o 43' 57"S 14o 18' 20"E, alpine grassland, pitfalls, 1 slide, 14.i.2012, 1986 m asl, leg. M. Nash. 1 slide; Bellell Creek, 28 kms East of Healesville, - 37.534584045o S and 145.835418701o E, Nothofagus forest, litter under snow, 10.v. 1975, 904 m asl, leg. P. Greenslade, 3 slides; Lerderderg State Forest, Blackwood Road, -37o 33.245S, 144o.19.019'E, under log, funnel sample, 2 slides, 30.x. 2010, 600 m asl approx., leg. P. Greenslade; Tolangi, State Forest, litter and logs, -37° 32′ 15″ S, 145° 30′ 44″ E to - 37.5375S, 145.512222E, 700 to 100 m asl, 10.vi.1975, leg. P. Greenslade. NEW SOUTH WALES: Snowy Mountain Range, South Ramshead, 2000 m asl, alpine heath and grassland, - 36.50583333o S 148.2525o E, ii.1981 to viii.1982, pitfalls, leg. K. Green, 2 slides; Snowy Mountains, South Ramshead, 1800 m, - 31o 31'S 148 15' E, 1.24 km NNE South Ramshead, subalpine Eucalyptus pauciflora woodland (snow gum), ii.1981 to viii.1982, 1800 m asl approx, pitfalls, leg. K.Green 5 slides (one with 3 specimens); Charlotte Pass, Kosciuszko National Park, in grass, - 36.430552o S 148.338771o E, 4.i.1976, 1812 m asl, leg. P. Greenslade, 1 slide; ca 2 km N Thredbo, alpine meadow, under stones edge of creek, 36o 29’ 32” S 148o 17’ 07”E, 13.i.2002, 1900 m asl, leg. P. Greenslade, 1 slide. ACT: Piccadilly Circus, Brindabella Mountains, in logs, - 35.36523o S, 148.796201o E, 1.v.1974, 1095 m asl, leg. P. Greenslade. 1 slide. TASMANIA: Mt Wellington, summit, low heath, stony ground, 1259 m asl, 42.895539o S, 147.2349320o E, 2.xii.1976, 23.xi.2008, leg. P. Greenslade, 4 slides (2 specimens on slide), 3 in alcohol, all subadult; Central Plateau Conservation area, Arthurs Lake Road, 20 yds from second grid approx. - 42o 52’S 146o 52’E, soil and ground litter, 28 June 1976, 900 m asl approx.leg. J. Ireson, 3 slides; Central Highlands, below Projection Bluff, rain forest, - 41o43’S 146o43.5’ E, soil cores, -42o 41’ 146o 35’10.40, 9.iii.1989, 1000 m asl approx., leg. J. Diggle, 4 slides; Simon's Road, 20 km south east of Scottsdale, - 41o21.5’S 147o 31.3E, June 1984, 850 m asl, leg. P.Greenslade, J. Diggle.1 slide; Wayatinah area, ground litter, 10 km south east of Tarraleah, 317 m asl, - 42.389897S o 146.498900o E, ground litter, Eucalyptus forest, 13. x.1975, leg. J. Ireson, 2 slides; Mt Field, National Park, south east, - 42o 41’S 146 o 35’1040E, Nothofagus gunii, leaf litter, 23.iii.85, 1000 m asl approx., leg. P. Greenslade, 1 slide; Franklin River Crossing, Lyell Highway, - 42o 16’S 146o 24’E rainforest leaf litter, 30.v.1977, J. Ireson; Lake Highway, nr Great Lake, - 42o 00’S 146o 39E, 15.ix.1975, 1000 m approx., leg. J. Ireson, 2 alcohol tubes; Pine Tier Lagoon, - 42o 06’S 146o 29’E, 23.xi. 1975, 700 m asl approx., leg. R. Hardy, 2 slides; North East Tasmania, nr Trenan, via Ringarooma, - 41o18’28”S 147o 41’ 28”E, Forestry map 40 Alberton, 905-547, 12 yr old E. delagatensis, ground litter. 2.vii.1974, 2208D, leg. J. Maddern, 2 slides; Ben Lomond National Park, 8 km west, O'Plain Creek, approx. - 41o 32’S 147o 37’E, creek bottom, dry sclerophyll forest, E. obliqua, E. olearia, 27.iv.1976, 1100 m asl, approx., leg. G. Pulzer, 1 slide. Numerous specimens in alcohol from all the above locations.
Description. Size: adults from 1.2 to 2.0 mm. Colour: uniform bluish grey, sometimes darker, shiny surface. Clothing: densely covered with smooth pointed setae; setae varying in size with small, medium and large (macrochaetae) types present; macrochaetae on legs and posterior abdominal segments long and roughened or ciliated, abd V with 3 + 3 serrated dorsal macrochaetae. Small, round glands seen at the base of all setae. S setae mostly short and very fine, pointed, much longer on abd V. Longest S setae on abd V half as long as median macrochaetae. Micro S (ms) from th II to abd III as 11\001; S setal arrangement for body segments from half segments th II to abd III as 66\5556–7 with some variation (Fig. 3A).
Head and antenna. PAO either slightly smaller or slightly larger than anterior ocellus with slight tendency to lobation into four to five (Fig. 2 D) Antennae about 1/3 longer than head diagonal; all segments simple, not annulated; ant III slightly longer or slightly shorter than ant IV (0.9–1.3). Antennae with three types of S setae, ordinary short fine S setae (1), erect S setae (2) and thickened cylindrical S setae (3); ant I with about 11 ventral type 1 S setae; ant II and ant III with many S setae type 1 and fewer type 2 on dorsal, ventral and lateral surfaces; ant III organ with two curved S setae (rods) and 1 small ventral S seta (Fig. 2 F); ant IV without apical bulb but with a bifurcate pin seta at tip, organite bean-shaped; apex of antennae IV with two low hemispherical projections; numerous type 1 S setae present, outer apical third with 6 (number variable) type 3 S setae in dorsolateral position; labrum with 4 small, broad, rounded projections on anterior border and 5,5,4 setae of subequal length and shape, set in 3 evenly spaced rows; labrum with 3 irregular rows of ventro-apical cilia; 4 preclypeal (prelabral) setae. Mandible normal for the family; maxilla with all lamellae present, lamella 1 reaching well beyond tip of capitulum, with expanded, finely ciliated, fan-shaped apical third; lamella 2 flattened, with marginal ciliation and broad surface completely covered with denticles; lamella 3 reduced, mushroom-shaped with small pad-shaped apical portion with denticles; lamella 4 and 5 flattened, with marginal ciliation and denticles on main body; lamella 6 padshaped with apical ciliation and denticles (Fig. 2 B). Maxillary palp trifurcate with 4 sublobal hairs (Fig. 2 A); labial palp with 5 proximal setae, papillae A–E unmodified, E with 7 guard setae; basomedial field with 8–9 setae, basolateral field with 5 setae (Fig. 2 A); head in adults with at least 10 setae on each side of ventral groove.
Thorax and legs. Clearly serrated macrochaetae on subcoxa 1/2 of legs I, II, III as 0/1, 0/3, 0/2 respectively; coxa of legs I, II, III with 2/3/1 macrochaeta respectively. Femur with some long macrochaetae on internal surface.
Tibiotarsus not subsegmented, 11 setae in distal whorl, A1 pointed, thin and longer than others. Tibiotarsus of leg III with one long, erect seta on internal mid-tibiotarsus, and one clearly prolonged seta on the outer side 1/4 from base (Fig. 3 E), clavate tenent hairs absent; claw with one internal tooth medially and a pair of strong basal shieldlike lateral teeth, forming a tunica separated by deep cleft (Fig. 3 B). Empodial appendage pointed, broader at base with three lamellae and a small tooth on inner lamella (Figs. 3 B,C, 4A).
Abdomen and appendages. Abd III approximately equal to abd IV in length; abd V and VI separate (Fig. 3 D); median macrochaetae of abd V 0.7–1.2 (n=12) as long as median length of the segment, macrochaetae relatively longer in small specimens; one pair of long S setae between median macrochaetae (Fig. 3 D). Ventral tube on each side with 5–11 distal and 8–12 anterior (frontal) setae, posterior side with 3–12 setae; rami tenaculum with 4 + 4 teeth and 9–15 setae; manubrium with many smooth simple setae anteriorly, distal part of manubrium with at least 12 strong setae or spine-like setae anteriorly, manubrial thickening smooth, lacking teeth (Fig. 3 G). Dens hardly tapering, weak annulations in distal posterior half, low ridges on medial part of anterior surface, with slight bend halfway along, internally on basal half with 18 (11–23) simple, short spines in two irregular rows, fewer in juveniles (Figs. 3 I, 4D); base of dens on inner side with two strong ridges, the upper one ending in a clearly projecting sharp spine (Fig. 3 I); dens posteriorly with three groups of setae, basally with 4 (2–5) long and one short, 3 more distally adjacent to internal spines but basal to bend, and up to 8 in distal third of dens (Fig. 3 J). Juveniles have fewer macrochaetae in these posterior positions, numerous setae in external and anterior positions. Mucro with two large subequal distal teeth and two basal teeth of which the inner large one has a short lamella running towards base; mid section with 2–5 smaller teeth; outer side with 3 setae, inner side with a lamella ending in a sharp spine at distal 1/3 (Fig. 3 F). Dens 4.6 to 5.1 (n=5) as long as mucro measured laterally. Male genital plate circular with 6 curved internal setae and many external setae (Fig. H).
Derivation of name. The generic name is given after Skade, the Scandinavian mountain goddess of hunting and skiing; the specific name, inpericulosa, meaning threatened or at risk (from climate change).
Ecology and conservation status: Reproductive individuals were present in the period April to November, and juveniles throughout the year.Ten times more individuals were collected in cooler, moister months (April to August) in pitfall on South Ramshead than in the other seven months of the year and there were considerable differences between the two years in the numbers of individuals trapped (Fig. 5).
The vegetation under which Skadisotoma occurred varied from rocky, low alpine heathland, to Nothofagus forest and Eucalyptus forest and woodland. This range shows considerable ecological tolerance even for a leaf litter and humus living species. All locations were from around 400 m up to 1200 m in altitude. The type locality of the new species is adjacent to a snow patch in the Victorian alps. This habitat is considered endangered and a justification for listing snow patches in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania using IUCN criteria has been made by Williams et al. (2015). Using IUCN criteria also, Fjellberg (2010a) listed four collembolan species as “Near Threatened” in Norway which occurred only around snow patches.
description: Published as part of Greenslade, Penelope & Fjellberg, Arne, 2015, Skadisotoma, a new genus of Isotomidae (Collembola) from Australia, pp. 573-580 in Zootaxa 3972 (4) on pages 574-578, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3972.4.8, http://zenodo.org/record/241573