Entomobrya clarki Womersley 1937, new status

Entomobrya clarki Womersley, 1937 new status

(Figs 1I, 4E, 13 A–G)

Entomobrya termitophila var. clarki Womersley, 1937

Lectotype. One female, VIC, Fern Tree Gully, Dandenong Ranges, from an ants’ nest, - 37.833°S, 14535°E, 150m asl, January 1937, HW, designated Greenslade (1984), [SAMA I22543].

Other material examined. Further slide labelled VIC, Bell’s Creek, R. T.M. 24. vi. 1941, Prescott leg. (SAMA Box–196–09), determined as var. clarki by Womersley.Additional specimens with the same colour pattern or similar but less intense are from Kalorama, Dandenong Ranges, VIC, - 37.8180°S, 145.3660°E, 150m asl, 17/5/37, HW. leg.; male, 4 specimens, NSW, Kiola, July 1990, - 35.5611°S, 150.3742°E, 200m asl, PG leg, [SAMA T61–02] forest and improved pasture, suction sample PG leg., (AU 6–1, 2).

Description. Size. Length up to 1.34 mm excluding antennae of lectotype; (n=7 at 1.6 mm (from 1.31–2.04 mm).

Colour. Ground colour uniform pale yellow. Head with brown dark with less pigment in the hind part. Th II–III blue dark, Abd I with lateral blue longitudinal bands but white in dorsum, Abd II and III totally dark blue. Abd IV with blue pigment, but clear on an anterior band (Figs 1I, 4E) more intensive in lateral sides. Abd V with posterior blue band, Abd VI without pigment.

Head. Eight eyes, G and H smaller than E–F. Antennae length 800 μm (n=3), 2.6 times the length of the head (n=3).Ant IV with bilobed apical vesicle without pin chaeta beside it; Relative length of Ant I/II/III/IV=1/2.3/2.2/2.7 (n=3). Sensory organ of Ant III with rod–like sensilla in addition to the 3 guard sensilla; four labral papillae with 2 projections each. Labral formula 4/554, 4 prelabral chaetae ciliated, labral chaetae smooth. Labial chaetae MREL 1 L 2 all ciliated, only with one M, and R smaller than other (70% of M).

Thorax and abdomen. Length ratio of Abd IV/III=2.3 (n=7). Tibiotarsus without differentiated chaetae, with exception of the presence of the smooth terminal chaetae on legs 3, characteristic for the genus. Unguis length 40 μm. Unguis with 4 teeth: paired at 32% from base, first unpaired at 60% from base; lateral teeth below the level of paired ones (Fig. 13F). Unguiculus lanceolate, with external serrated lamella. Tenent hair clavate, longer than unguis. Trochanteral organ with 12 chaetae. The length of manubrium and dens 318 and 434 μm respectively (n=8). Manubrial plate with 4 chaetae and 2 pseudopores. Mucro bidentate with anteapical tooth similar in size to apical one, and with mucronal basal spine reaching the tip of the subapical tooth. Mucro 14 μm (from 10 to 20) (n=8). The length of smooth distal portion of dens nearly 3 times length mucro.

Macrochaetotaxy. Simplified Mc formula: 3,1,0,1,1a/1,4/0,2/0,0,1/0,0,2,2,2, different to E. termitophila. Head chaetotaxy (Fig. 13A) An 1 mes, An 2, An 3a1 and An 3 Mc. A 5 Mc. M 1 to M 4 present as Mc. In sutural row S 0, S 2, S 3 S 4, S 5i, and S 5, Ps 5 present. Thoracic chaetotaxy with Th II chaetotaxy (Fig. 13B) with Mc m 1 on T1 area. On T2 area Mc a 5, m 4, m 4i and m 5 presents. Abdominal chaetotaxy, only m 3e and m 3ep Mc present on A2 area of Abd II (Fig. 13C). On Abd III (Fig, 13D) only m 3 Mc present on A5 area, Abd IV (Fig. 13E) with Mc A 4 –A 6 and B 4 –B 6.

Remarks. In 1937 Womersley described a new variety of Entomobrya termitophila Schött, 1917 var. clarki from Fern Tree Gully in the Dandenong Ranges, VIC. This variety “differs from the typical form in that the black bands on abdominal segments II and III extend completely over the segments, while the meso–and metathoracic and fourth abdominal segments are also deep but not intensely pigmented”. In 1939, he “redescribed it in a new drawing with the colour distribution”. Salmon in 1964 in his catalogue elevated the variety to subspecies rank.

The chaetotaxy shows that E. clarki is a good species for Australia and that it differs from E. termitophila, and all other Entomobrya in chaetotaxy. Entomobrya clarki sp. nov. differs from E. termitophila by the presence of m 1, m 4i and m 5 Mc on Th II as these chaetae are absent in E, termitophila, and also by the colour difference see figures 13 and 39. Entomobrya clarki isalso separate from other species (see Tables 4 and 5).

Etymology. Named by Herbert Womersley after the collector, the late John Clark, entomologist and myrmecologist previously of the Museum of Victoria.