Pygmarrhopalites tauricus Vargovitsh, 2009, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Vargovitsh, Robert S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Entognatha
Collembola
Arrhopalitidae
Pygmarrhopalites
Pygmarrhopalites tauricus

description: Pygmarrhopalites tauricus sp. nov.
Figs 63–90; Table 3
Diagnosis. Unpigmented; 1 + 1 eyes; trichobothria ABC form almost linear pattern and AB equidistant with BC or a little shorter; antennae elongated: Ant/head = 2.5–3; Ant IV with 9 (8–11) subsegments usually distinctly separated from each other by 2 or more annuli; setae of head not modified; claws thin, much elongated, with small inner tooth; empodia without corner tooth, shorter than claws; tenaculum with 2 setulae; manubrium with 6 + 6 setae; dens with only 1 spine and not modified other setae, ventrally with 3, 2, 1, 1 setae; mucro with broadened and cut tip; small abdomen with simple circumanal setae, curved and apically serrated appendices anales.
Material examined. Holotype on slide (C-386-3): female, Ukraine, Crimea, Karabi Massif, Suvorovskaya Cave (- 100 m), 4.viii.2003. Paratypes on slides: male, 4 females, collected together with holotype. Holotype and 3 paratypes are preserved in SIZNAS, 2 paratypes in SNHML.
Other material (on slides). Karabi Massif: 3 females, juv., Dublyanskogo Cave, 12.viii.2003; 4 males, 4 females, juv., Gvozdetskogo Cave (- 150 m), 9.viii.2003; 7 males, 7 females, juv., Kastere Cave (- 70 m), 4.viii.1998; male, Krubera Cave (- 40 m), 5.vii.1994; 3 males, 3 females, same cave, 5.viii.1998; female, Molodezhnaya Cave (- 260 m), 6.vii.1994; 7 males, 5 females, 4 juv., same cave, 11.viii.2003; female, Monastyr’ Chokrak Cave (- 100 m), 10.viii.1993; male, same cave, 6.viii.2003; male, 2 females, Nakhimovskaya Cave (- 300 m to - 350 m), 6.viii.1998; 2 males, 3 juv., same cave, 14.viii.2003; 5 males, 12 females, 3 juv., Skazka Cave, 4.viii.2003; male, Egiz-Tinakh-3 Cave (=Viola Cave) (- 30 m), 7.08.1993; Chatyr-Dag Massif: 2 males, female, juv., Azimutnaya Cave (- 90 m), 17.vii.1997; male, Golubinaya-2 Cave (- 30 m), 16.07.1997; juv., Gugerdzhin Cave, 10.vii.1997; male, Dubovaya Cave (- 110 m), 11.vii.97; 2 males, 6 females, 2 juv., Khod Kon’em Cave (-150 to - 240 m), 15. vii. 1997; female, Suuk-Coba Cave, 11.vii.1997; male, juv., Inzhenernaya Cave (- 60 m; - 70m), 12.vii.1997; Dolgorukovsky Massif: male, Lu-Khosar Cave (- 40 m), 10.viii.1998; 3 males, 7 females, 3 juv., Averkieva Cave (- 35 m), 11.viii.1998; male, 3 females, Proval Cave (- 40 m), 12.viii.1998; 5 males, 3 females, 2 juv., Kizil-Coba Cave (= Krasnaya Cave), 12.viii.1998; Aj- Petri Massif: 2 males, female, Geophyzicheskaya Cave (- 40 m), 16.viii.1998; male, Kaskadnaya Cave (- 250 m), 17.viii.1998; male, juv., same cave (- 400 m), 20.viii.1998. Besides slides, part of material is preserved in alcohol.
Description. Female: body length up to 1.4 mm, without pigmentation (Fig. 63).
Head (Fig. 64): eyes 1 + 1, unpigmented. Clypeal area with axial seta in row a. Interantennal area with axial seta in row β. Dorsal area with 3 axial setae in rows A, B and C; no modified setae (Fig. 70).
Antennae 2.5–3 times as long as head. Ant I: II: III: IV = 1: 2.2–2.6: 3.5–4.4: 9.5–11.8. Ant I with 7 setae; Ant II with 14–15 setae and small apical sensilla (Fig. 77). Ant III (Fig. 78): without swelling, with 18 setae and 2 sense rods in separate shallow pits; seta Aai very small, apically curved; setae Api and Ape shorter and thinner than others. Ant IV (Fig. 79) subdivided into 8–11 subsegments separated one from another by several annuli. Usually (83% of examined specimens) 9 subsegments are distinct and then subsegmental formula is: 1 + 7 + 1 = (A + M1) + (M2–M7 + BA) + (BM1–BM3 + BB). Basal part (B) of Ant IV sometimes contains indistinct annulations between whorls BM1, BM2 and BM3, then total number of subsegments is 10–11. Number of setal whorls on Ant IV is 15 (if whorl BM2 present (>90% of specimens)) or 14 (if “cryptoverticil” whorl BM2 missing). If 9 subsegments present, basal one is 1.6–2.2 times as long as apical one and 0.6–0.85 times as long as Ant III.
Foreleg: precoxae and coxa with 1, 0, 1 setae (Fig. 65). Trochanter with 3 anterior and 1 posterior setae; femur with 12 setae among which 2 very small posterior setulae; anterior seta a4 turned perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the segment (Fig. 88). Tibiotarsus (Fig. 85): 3 setae FP and seta FSa present; whorl I with 9 setae among which Ja thick and curved; each of whorls II–V with 8 setae. Claw long and thin, with small inner tooth and a pair of lateral teeth in subapical part, without tunica; empodium narrow, distinctly shorter than claw, untoothed. Claw 2.8–4.2 times shorter than tibiotarsus.
Mid leg: precoxae and coxa with 1, 1, 3 setae respectively (Fig. 65). Trochanter with anterior trochanteral organ and 3 simple setae; femur with 12–13 setae (Fig. 89). Tibiotarsus (Fig. 86): 3 setae FP and seta FSa present; whorl I with 9 setae, each of whorls II–IV with 8 setae, whorl V with 7 setae. Claw as in foreleg; empodium broadened in basal half, without corner tooth and shorter than claw. Claw 2.9–4.2 times shorter than tibiotarsus.
Hind leg: precoxae and coxa with 1, 1, 3 setae (Fig. 65). Trochanter with anterior trochanteral organ, 3 anterior and 1 posterior setae; femur with 12 setae: 2 posterior ones are very small (Fig. 90). Chaetotaxy of tibiotarsus as in mid leg (Fig. 87). Claw shorter and a little broader than fore and mid claw, with small inner tooth and a pair of lateral teeth, without tunica; empodium broader than in mid leg and shorter than claw. Claw 4.4–5.7 times shorter than tibiotarsus.
Length ratio of tibiotarsi I: II: III = 1: 1: 1.2–1.37.
Ventral tube with 2 small, slightly curved subapical setulae. Tenaculum (Fig. 76): ramus 3-dentate, with basal appendage; anterior lobe with 2 apical setulae; tip of posterior lobe slightly exceeding tip of anterior lobe.
Furca (Fig. 83): manubrium with 6 + 6 posterior setae. Dens chaetotaxy as in Fig. 83 and Table 3: one small outer spine (Ie) present, other setae normal; 3, 2, 1, 1 setae on anterior side. Mucro with serrated edges, tip broadened, cut and slightly concave (Fig. 84). Dens about twice (1.8–2.1) as long as mucro.
Species Characters e ae a ai i pi p pe
P. tauricus whorls I–V I S + + + + - + + II - + + - - - + + III - - + - - + + + IV - - - - - + + + V - - - - - - - + whorl B - - + - - + + +
P. kaprusi whorls I–V I S + + + s - + + II - + + - - - + s III - - + - - - + + IV - - - - - - + + V - - - - - - - + whorl B - - + - - + + +
P. pseudoprincipalis whorls I–V I S + + + S - + s II - + + - - - + S III - - + - - S + s IV - - - - - S + s (-) V - - - - - - - s (+) whorl B - - + - - + + +
P. principalis skelicus whorls I–V I S + + + S - + + II - + + - - - + S III - - + - - S + + IV - - - - - S + + V - - - - - - - + whorl B - - + - - + + + Great abdomen (Fig. 65): mesothorax with simple short dorsal setae (Fig. 73).
Trichobothria ABC form an angle about 170o (trichobothrium B is only slightly out of line AC or in line with AC). AB and BC equidistant (AB≤BC). Single seta of p-row of Abd I is located below the level of trichobothrium B anteriorly to the trichobothrial complex (marked with arrow); seta b1 lies approximately in the middle of the line between trichobothria B and C; seta c1 of thichobothrial complex lies on the level of trichobothrium C. Posterior lateral complex with 7 setae; furca base complex with 9 setae; ventral complex with 2 setae. Posterior dorsal complex with 3 rows of long setae, 1–1.4 times as long as hind claw (Figs 74, 75).
Fifth abdominal segment with trichobothrium D and 4 setae (Fig. 65).
Sixth abdominal segment (Fig. 81): circumanal setae simple, only slightly stronger than others (Figs 66, 67); seta ms5 on dorsal valve and ami’ setae on lateral valvae absent. Appendices anales inserted in a globular papilla, somewhat curved, with apical and subapical weak denticulation (Figs 71, 72); hind claw: appendices anales = 1.7–2.4.
Male: body length 0.8–1.1 mm. Antenna: head = 2.5–3.1. Ant I: II: III: IV = 1: 2.2–2.5: 3.5–4.4: 9.8–12.4. Ant IV subdivided into 9–12 (single specimens with 8 and 13) subsegments, number of annuli between subsegments usually more than in female (Fig. 80). Small abdomen with lesser than in female number of setae (Fig. 82).
Variability. Number of axial setae of head dorsum sometimes incomplete. Ant II with 15 or 14 setae: posterior seta of apical whorl may be missing (specimen from Averkieva Cave). Number of subsegments of Ant IV vary from 8 to 13 (usually 9). Number of setal whorls of Ant IV seems to be more constant feature than number of subsegments and usually is 15. However, whorl BM 2 may be: (1) similar to BM3 whorl with several setae; (2) with reduced number of setae (1–2 setae) as in Fig. 79; (3) all setae missing: in this case Ant IV bears 14 whorls. Only one male with 16 whorls of setae on Ant IV has been observed. Abnormal specimen from Gugerdzhin Cave has undivided Ant IV and antenna only twice as long as head. Variable seta on mid femur was found (Fig. 89). Ratio fore (mid) tibiotarsus: fore (mid) claw in specimens from Karabi and Chatyr-Dag massifs = 2.8–3.7 and from Aj-Petri and Dolgorukovsky massifs = 3.5–4.2; hind tibiotarsus: hind claw = 4.4–5.4 and 4.8–5.7 respectively. Edges of mucro densely serrated with sharp teeth or only weakly serrated; also serration only on one side (another side smooth) was observed.
Bionomy and distribution. P. tauricus sp. nov. is distinct troglomorphic troglobiont, it occurs in deep zones down to - 400 m vertical depth on wet stalagmites and walls, wet wooden substances, decaying organic remains and water surface. Intestine of specimens collected from stalagmites is often full of calcite material. This species appears the most widely distributed Crimean troglobiont. It inhabits caves of all sampled massifs of both Eastern and Western biospeleological regions of Crimea. However, it is often subdominant or dominant in Eastern region but rare species in Western region (see also “Remarks on distribution”). In certain caves it is sympatric with all Crimean Arrhopalitidae described here (Table 1) although they often inhabit different zones of caves.
Etymology. “ Tauricus ” is used as a synonym to “Crimean”, and denotes the wide distribution of the new species in Crimean caves (Fig. 1; Table 1).
Remarks. P. tauricus sp. nov. belongs to the group of troglobiont species with long antennae, elongated thin claws without tunica, short empodia and only one distinct spine on dens. From all these species: P. aggtelekiensis (Stach, 1930), P. aggtelekiensis buekkensis (Loksa, 1969), P. commorus (Christiansen & Bellinger, 1996), P. sacer (Christiansen & Bellinger, 1996) P. sextus (Zeppelini & Christiansen, 2003), and P. uenoi (Yosii, 1956), P. tauricus sp. nov. differs by presence of annulations between subsegments of Ant IV and absence of corner tooth in all empodia.
description: Published as part of Vargovitsh, Robert S., 2009, New Cave Arrhopalitidae (Collembola: Symphypleona) from the Crimea (Ukraine), pp. 1-47 in Zootaxa 2047 on pages 20-26, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.186465