Four species of Homidia (Collembola, Entomobryidae) with smooth post-labial chaetae and DNA barcoding

NEWS - Researchers have established four new species from Guangxi Zhuang, China: the long antenna springtail (Homidia longiantenna), the Guangxi springtail (Homidia guangxiensis), the Huaping springtail (Homidia huapingensis) and the oligoseta springtail (Homidia oligoseta), into a genus that previously had 77 species described worldwide.

Key characters of the genus include coloration pattern, body chaetotaxia, chaetae of the labial base, claw structure and tooth spines. Post-labial chaetae are rarely mentioned in species descriptions as they are usually indistinguishable from the normal ciliate chaetae present in most species, except for a few that are widened.

Before this study, smooth post-labial chaetae had not been reported. The researchers describe four new species, of which one species has slightly widened post-labial chaetae, two species have smooth post-labial chaetae and one species has neither widened nor smooth post-labial chaetae.

H. longiantenna is named for its distinctive long antennae and is found in leaf litter. It is also characterized by slightly widened post-labial chaetae and can be easily distinguished from all known Homidia species.

It is similar to H. apigmenta Shi, Pan & Zhang, 2010, H. pseudofascia Pan, Zhang & Li, 2015, and H. wanensis Pan & Ma, 2021 in widened post-labial chaetae and color pattern, but can be separated from both by its long antennae and other characters.

It is also similar to H. jordanai Pan, Shi & Zhang, 2011 in long antennae, but there are significant differences between the two, such as post-labial chaetotaxy and central mac in Abd. III and other characters.

H. guangxiensis is named for its location in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and is found in leaf litter. This new species can be easily distinguished from other species by its smooth post-labial chaetae, number and location on the posterior side of the ventral tube.

This species is similar to H. acutus Jing & Ma, 2022, H. pseudozhangi Jing & Ma, 2023, and H. zhangi Pan & Shi, 2012 in color pattern, but can be distinguished from the other species by its smooth post-labial chaetae, inner teeth on the unguis, and other characters.

H. huapingensis is named after its location in Huaping Nature Reserve and was found in leaf litter. This species is very similar to H. guangxiensis and H. acutus Jing & Ma, 2022 in color pattern, smooth post-labial chaetae, inner teeth on the unguis and central chaetae on posterior Abd. IV, but can be separated from both by tenent hairs, central chaetae on anterior Abd. IV and smooth chaetae on posterior side of the ventral tube.

H. oligoseta gets its name from the Latin oligo and seta meaning few chaetae present on each side of the anterior part of Abd. IV and found in leaf litter. This species closely resembles H. huapingensis and H. acutus Jing & Ma, 2022 in its color pattern and pointed tenent bristles, but can be separated from both by its Abd. IV chaetotaxy and smooth post-labial chaetae.

Original research

Zhou R, Huang L, Ma Y-T (2024). Smooth post-labial chaetae in Homidia (Collembola, Entomobryidae) and the description of four new species from China with the aid of DNA barcoding. ZooKeys 1213: 41-73, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1213.123839

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