| چکیده انگلیسی مقاله |
Tullbergiidae (Poduromorpha) are minute arthropods that lack eyes and a furca. In Iran, this family has not undergone extensive study, with only six genera and 13 species documented so far. Samples for this study were collected from Guilan province, specifically from an olive orchard in Rudbar city in April 2017. Soil and leaf litter samples were collected and processed using a Berlese funnel in the laboratory to extract the springtail specimens. Microscopic slides were then prepared to examine the morphological characteristics and identify the specimens. The genus Neonaphorura Bagnall, 1935 was identified within the Tullbergiidae family and reported for the first time in Iran. This genus is differentiated from others in the family by the number of anal spines on the sixth abdominal segment and the number of sensory clubs on the 3rd antennal flagellomere. Additionally, an identification key to genera and species within the Tullbergiidae family in Iran is presented in this study.
Keywords: Collembola, identification key, Poduromorpha.
Introduction
The family Tullbergiidae comprises 236 described species, mostly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere (Bellinger et al., 2024). Members of the family have a small body size, no pigmentation, and lack eyes and a furca (Rusek, 1987). Other diagnostic characters of this family are as follows: abdominal tergum VI with anal spines; a thick sensillum on the ventral side of the antennal segment III; two prelabral setae; maxillary palp simple with one sublobal hair; the head with 3+3 setae along the ventral line; ventral tube with 4+4 distal setae and two on each side at the base, and ventral pseudocelli absent.
The members of the family Tullbergiidae are small to very small Collembola with a length of between 0.4–1.5 mm (Palacios-Vargas and Salazar Martínez, 2014). Therefore, the specimens may be ignored when separating them from the soil. Due to this, the family has not received as much attention as other Collembola groups especially in Iran. Up to now only 14 species and 7 genera have been reported from Iran (Shayanmehr et al., 2020, 2023, 2024). In this paper, we report a new genus of Tullbergiidae and provide an identification key to the identified genera and species of Iran.
Materials and Methods
Specimens were obtained from soil and leaf litter samples in an olive garden on 4 March 2018, and then were processed by Berlese funnels and preserved in 96% alcohol. Specimens were cleared in 10% KOH and mounted in Hoyer’s solution to make microscopic slides. To study the specimens, identification keys by Fjellberg (1998) and Dunger & Schlitt (2011) were used. Most of the terminology and abbreviations follow Dunger & Schlitt (2011).
Research findings
Neonaphorura Bagnall, 1935
Material examined. Iran, Mazandaran, Guilan, Rudbar, Rostam-Abad, olive garden, N36°53ʹ37ʺ, E49°28ʹ38ʺ, soil and leaf litter, 452 m a.s.l., 4.4.2018, 3 specimens.
Diagnosis. Main characters of the genus according to Arbea (1991) are as follows: “Tullbergiinae with 6-9 anal spines (specimens of this study have only 6 anal spines, Fig. 1). Antennal sens organ III with two tiny solenidia (sens rods) between three stout solenidia (two sens clubs and one lateral club), three cuticular papillae and four guard setae (Fig. 2), and a thick solenidiun is present on the ventral side of the antennal segment III. The postantennal organ has two rows of compound vesicles Pseudocelli are as: 1, 1/1, 1-2, 1-2/1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1.”
General Distribution. Europe, USA, Palestine, Ukraine (Kaprus and Goblyk, 2015; Bellinger et al., 2024). The genus is reported for the first time from Iran.
Figure 1- Anal spines on the sixth abdominal segment of Neonaphorura sp. (lateral view, 40X)
Figure 2- Sensory clubs on the third antennal segment of Neonaphorura sp. (40X)
Key to the known Iranian species of Tullbergiidae (adapted from Fjellberg, 1998; Castaño-Meneses et al., 2000; Bellinger et al., 2024):
Sense organ of Ant. III in adults with one greatly thickened dorsal sensory club ........................................................................................................... Doutnacia xerophila Rusek, 1974
Sense organ of Ant. III in adults with 2-3 greatly thickened dorsal sensory clubs .............................. 2
VI with midventral projection-best seen in ventral view ...................................................... 3
VI without midventral projection ...................................................................................... 4
Number of anal spines four ................................................. Neonaphorura; unidentified species
Number of anal spines two ......................................................................... Metaphorura ........ 8
Sense organ of Ant. III with 2 sense clubs ................................................................................ 5
Sense organ of Ant. III with 3 sense clubs ................................................................................ 7
PAO with simple vesicles in two rows ....................................................................................... 6
PAO with six v-shaped vesicles ............................................................. Wankeliella Rusek, 1975
VI dorsally smooth except for crescentic ridges ............................................................................................................ Mesaphorura Börner, 1901 ...... 10
VI with additional dorsal or lateral tubercles bearing strong bristles ................................................................................................... Paratullbergia callipygos (Börner,1902)
Sixth abdominal segment with 1+1 dorsolateral spines in front of posterior anal spines .................................................................................. Fissuraphorura duplex (Lucianez & Simon, 1992)
Sixth abdominal segment without dorsolateral spines in front of posterior anal spines ................................................................................................................ Tullbergia simplex Gisin, 1958
Median process spiniform or stout; PAO with 18-25 bilobated or trilobated vesicles ................................................................................... Metaphorura riozoi Castaño-Meneses et al., 2000
Median process spiniform; PAO with 20-25 simple vesicles ..................................................... 9
Pseudocellar formula 11/111/11111 ...................................... Metaphorura affinis Börner, 1902
Pseudocellar formula 11/122/22221 ........................................ Metaphorura denisi Simon, 1985
V with 3+3 short a-setae between long a4 setae .............................................................. 11
V with 2+2 short a-setae between long a4 setae ............................................................... 14
IV with p1-p1 distance shorter than p2-p2 ......................................................................... 12
IV with p1-p1 distance longer than p2-p2 .......................................................................... 13
Anal lobe with l2ʹ present ........................................... Mesaphorura macrochaeta (Rusek, 1976)
Anal lobe with l2ʹ absent ............................................ Mesaphorura krausbaueri (Börner, 1901)
Th 2-3 with pseudocelli in median position, between p3-p4; Abd. IV without m5 ............................................................................................................ Mesaphorura yosii (Rusek, 1867)
Th 2-3 with pseudocelli in lateral position, between p5-p5; Abd. IV without m5 present ...................................................................................................... Mesaphorura italica (Thibaud, 1996)
III with a2 present ................................................................ Mesaphorura critica Ellis, 1976
III with a2 absent ........................................................ Mesaphorura hylophila (Rusek, 1982)
Discussion of results and Conclusions
Species of Neonaphorura have only been reported from the Northern Hemisphere, with 10 species occurring in the Palaearctic (Bellinger et al., 2024). The genus is reported for the first time from Iran. With this report, the number of Tullbergiidae genera in Iran rises to eight. It seems that the specimens of the present study belong to a new species that must be studied more in order to be described. Before this work, there was no identification key for the genera and species of Tullbergiidae in Iran, and Iranian researchers were facing difficulties in studying this family. The family is not well known in Iran. Further studies on this family in the country could lead to the discovery of new species (even new genera) and new records.
Acknowledgment
The costs of this study were funded by the research project No. 09-1400-22 approved by the Research Vice-Chancellor of Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. |