Seira lepidochaetosa Cipola & Morais & Bellini 2018, sp. nov.

Seira lepidochaetosa sp. nov. Cipola & Bellini

Figs 2–6, 17, Table 1

Diagnosis. Body with violet pigments on Th II anteriorly (Fig. 2); clypeal chaetae l1–2 apically acuminate; outer labral papillae smaller than inner; labial papilla E with lateral process pointed (Figs 3 B–D); dorsal head with A5 and M1 mac, S3 as mic; postlabial chaetae G2–3 normal (Figs 3 E–F); Th III–Abd II with 11, 0, 0 and 3 central mac, respectively; Abd IV with 8 central mac and 15–16 lateral mac, without mes group (Figs 4, 5B); unguiculus truncate; collophore anteriorly with 7 proximal spine-like chaetae, posteriorly with 4 spines and lacking smooth chaetae; manubrium ventrally with 2/2 subapical chaetae; manubrial plate without blunt chaetae (Figs 6 E–G).

Type material. Holotype female in slide (54926/ CAS): Madagascar, Toliara Province, Atsimo-Andrefana Region, Ambohimahavelona village, 23°26.45'S, 43°53.98'E (Fig. 17), dry forest, 45 m, 16–27.vii.2010, Malaisetrap, M. Irwin & R, Harin'Hala coll. Paratype in slide (54926/ CAS): 1 female, same data as holotype. Paratypes in slides (54922/ CAS): 3 females, same data as holotype, except 01–08.iv.2009. Paratypes in slides (059/ INPA): 2 females and 2 specimens in alcohol, same data as holotype, except 01.ix–03.x.2010. Paratypes in alcohol (54914/ CAS): 2 specimens, same data as holotype, except 10–13.vi.2010. Paratypes in alcohol (54923/ CAS): 7 specimens, same data as holotype, except 29.v–02.vi.2010.

Description. Total length (head+trunk) of specimens 2.21–2.88 mm (n=4), holotype 2.88 mm. Specimens pale white with dark violet pigments on anterior head, anterior to lateral edges of Th II, one latero-distal spot on Abd IV and distal half of femur III; and light pigments on Ant II–IV, Abd III laterally, Abd V, and femur II distally; eyepatches black (Fig. 2). Scales present from Ant I to one basal third of Ant III, all head, thorax and abdomen, legs (except empodia), anterior side of collophore, both sides of the manubrium and dentes ventrally.

Head. Ratio antennae: trunk=1: 1.72–1.82 (n =3), holotype 1: 1.82; antennal segments ratio as I: II: III: IV=1: 1.32–1.50: 1.16–1.45: 1.75–2.15, holotype 1: 1.32: 1.28: 1.75. Ant IV not annulated, with apical bulb apically bilobed. Ant III distally with 1 apical sensory rod elongated and 1 rounded, 3 guard sens, some blunt sens of different sizes and ciliate chaetae (Fig. 3A). Clypeal formula with 4 (l1–2), 2 (f), 3 (pf0–1) ciliate chaetae, l1–2 larger and apically acuminate, frontal chaetae gently smaller (Fig. 3B). Four labral papillae apically pointed, outer papillae smaller (Fig. 3C). Labial papilla E with lateral process (l.p.) apically pointed and exceeding the base of the papilla (Fig. 3D). Maxillary palp with smooth apical appendage (a.a.) and basal chaeta (b.c.) weakly ciliated, thicker and 1.09 longer than the apical. Eyes A and B larger, G and H smaller, with 5 interocular chaetae (q, s, p, r, t); head dorsal chaetotaxy (Fig. 3E) with 11 ‘An’ (An1a–3, An2a mic present), 4 ‘A’ (A4 mic present), 2 ‘M’ (M1, M4), 1 ‘S’ mac (S6), and 1 ‘Pa’ (Pa5) mac. Ventral chaetotaxy with about 14 ciliate chaetae, postlabial formula 4, 2 (H2 absent), 4 chaetae; basal chaeta (b.c.) largest (Fig. 3F).

Species of Seira

Characteristics lepidochaetosa semicaerulea metafemurata

sp. nov. sp. nov. sp. nov.

Clypeal l2 chaeta acuminate normal acuminate

Postlabial G2 normal smaller smaller

chaetae G3 normal smaller smaller

Process lateral of pointed finger-like finger-like

labial papilla E

Head dorsal A 4 m – m

chaetotaxy A5 M M m

M1 M m M

S 3 m M M

S 5 m – –

S6 M M m

Pe 3 m M m

Th II mac m 2i M M m

m4 M M m

p1 M M m

p2 M M m

p3 M M m

Th III mac p 2 m M M

p 3 m M m

Abd IV mac central 8 8 7

lateral 15–16 13 15

lateral mes group – – 14

Subcoxa I 5 5 5

Subcoxa II a row 11 11 12

p row 5–7, 4psp 4, 2psp 5, 3psp

Subcoxa III 11 10 11

Metatrocanteral organ 33 39 31

Collophore anterior side 7sp 7sp 5sp

chaetotaxy posterior side 4sp, 3C 3sp, 1C 4sp, 1C, 1S

lateral flap 2S, 16C 4S, 14C 5S, 15C

Subapical chaetae of 2 4 4

Ventral manubrium

Blunt chaetae on – – 4

manubrial plate

Symbols used to represent the morphological characteristics: (C) ciliated chaeta; (S) smooth chaeta; (M) mac; (m) mic; (psp) pseudoporus; (–) absent.

Thorax chaetotaxy (Figs 4 A–B). Th II a, m and p series with 4 (a 5i 2–5p), 4 (m1, m2– 2i, m4) and 3 (p1–3) mac, respectively; apex distally with numerous mic and scales interspersed. Th III a, m and p series with 0, 1 (m6) and 0 mac, respectively; p2ea mic absent. Ratio Th II:III =2.90–2.65: 1 (n =3), holotype 2.90: 1.

Abdomen chaetotaxy (Figs 4 C–D, 5A–C). Abd I without mac, a, m and p series with 5 (a1–3, a5–6), 5 (m2–6) and 2 (p5–6) mic, respectively, m 4i absent. Abd II a, m and p series with 1 (a2), 3 (m3–3e, m5) and 0 mac, respectively, a2p and m3ep mic present. Abd III a, m and p series with 0, 3 (m3, am6, pm6) and 1 (p6) mac, respectively, a2 and p3 as accessory mic. Abd IV with 8 central mac of A–T series (A3–5, B3–6, C1) and 15–16 lateral mac of E–Fe series (E2–4p, Ee10, F1–3, Fe1–5); 7 sens (ps type I, others type II) and 8 posterior mes present. Abd V a, m and p series with 1 (a5), 4 (m2–3, m5–5e) and 5 (p1, p3–6) mac, respectively. Ratio Abd III:IV=1: 2.65–4.41 (n= 3), holotype 1: 4.41.

Legs. Subcoxa I with 5 chaetae and 2 psp; subcoxa II with an anterior row of 11 chaetae, posterior row of 5–7 chaetae and 4 psp; subcoxa III with one row of 11 chaetae and 2 posterior psp (Figs 6 A–C). Trochanteral organ with about 33 spine-like chaetae (Fig. 6D). Tibiotarsus III generally subdivided on distal two thirds. Unguis with basal and median teeth with the same length, apical tooth smaller. Unguiculus with ai lamellae truncate, others acuminate, all lamellae smooth (ai, ae, pi, pe); ratio unguis:unguiculus=1: 0.55. Tibiotarsus III distally with one inner smooth chaeta 1.32 larger than unguiculus; tenent hair capitate, finely ciliate, and 0.80 smaller than unguis outer edge (as Figs 11 E–F).

Collophore (Fig. 6E). Anterior side with 15 chaetae, basally 7 spine-like chaetae, 1 thin mic, 2 inner mic and 2 long ciliate chaetae apically acuminate, distally with 2 mac and 1 long ciliate chaetae apically acuminate; posterior side distally with 7 chaetae per side, 4 reduced spine and 3 ciliate chaetae; lateral flap with 2 smooth and 17 ciliate chaetae.

Furcula (Figs 6 F–G). Manubrium ventrally with formula 1, 2, 2, 2/2 (subapical), 16–18 (apical) ciliate chaetae and approximately 17 elongated apical scales per side; manubrial plate with 8 ciliate chaetae of different sizes and 3 psp. Furcula lacking blunt chaetae.

Etymology. Refers to the similarity with the genus Lepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 in the habitus and reduction of macrochaetae (Fig. 2).