Entomobrya virgata Schott 1917

Entomobrya virgata Schött, 1917

(Figs 3L, 6C, 43 A–F)

Lectotype female, cleared. NHRM 1029, Yarrabah, QLD.

Paralectotype same data as lectotype, female not cleared, SAMA 1028.

Type locality. 2 specimens, QLD, Yarrabah, - 16.9281°S, 145.8720°E, 57m asl, Mjöberg leg.

Other material examine. The specimen studied is from QLD Mus., Lockerbie, 19–23.iii.1987, - 10.8019°S, 142.475°E, 219m asl, (QLDMus 28 01–02).The species is represented in Fig. 46 with the colour of E. virgata.

Redescription. Size. Length 1 mm. Body dorso-ventrally flattened.

Colour. Dorsally whitish yellowish with some dark blue transversal bands on whole of Th III, half of Abd II, whole Abd III, and of Abd IV and V. White with bluish–violet transverse bands, broad on Th III, Abd III, IV and V, and narrow on Abd II; VI completely pigmented. Antennae II–IV blue (Fig. 6C). Furca light coloured. Ant twice as long as head, middle segments subequal, IV the longest. Unguis and tibiotarsal hair normal. Unguiculus pointed. Long ciliated hairs on posterior body segments.

Head. Apical bulb of antennal segment IV bilobed. Labral papillae with smooth lateral papillae; two central ones spinulate. Prelabral and labral chaetae 4/554. Prelabral chaetae clearly ciliated, labral chaetae smooth. Dorsal head chaetotaxy (figure 43C); Mc An’ 0, A6, S’ 0, S 1, S 5i always absent, S 0 present or absent; M 1, M 2, M 3 and M 4 present; Ps 2 and Ps 5 present. Eyes G and H small and subequal. Ant / head=2.5.

Macrochaetotaxy. Thoracic chaetotaxy extremely reduced. T1 area on Th II without Mc, T2 area with a 5 and m 4, m 4i present as small Mc (Fig. 43D). Trochanteral organ with 6–10 chaetae. Unguis with 4 inner teeth; paired teeth located approximately at 45–50% from inner unguis length, dorsal tooth not seen, Two imperceptible unpaired teeth on the internal edge of the unguis, unguiculous smooth on external edge. Womersley described the tenent hair as pointed, but it is blunt (Fig. 43A). Mucronal anteapical tooth bigger than apical one (Fig. 43B). Abdominal chaetotaxy reduced. Abd II with a 3 Mc (Fig. 43E). Abd. III with m 3 Mc. Abd. 4 with 8 central posterior Mc A 5 –A 6 and B 5 –B 6 (Fig. 43F).

Measurements. Ant I–IV 101, 226, 233 and 272 µm respectively. Abd IV:III=4,5. Body length 1.556 and 1.408 mm of both females studied.

Remarks. Schött (1917) described a new species mainly on its colour as follows: “whitish with blue–violet pigment. Posterior part of Th. III and Abd. II–V with narrower or wider bands. Abd VI pigmented. Legs more or less pigmented especially the tibiotarsi. Ant. I with violet shimmer and black basal ring. Ant. II–IV deep blue. Furcula light. Antennae about twice as long as the head diagonal, the two middle segments nearly the same length. Ant. IV the longest. Ratio of the segments.l:2:2 1/5:3. With 8 eyes. Tibiotarsal hair almost as long as the unguis; Unguis normal. The proximal pair of teeth in the middle of the ventral edge, the second distal tooth hardly visible. Unguiculus acuminated. Macrochaeta on the head and mesonotum”.

Womersley (1939) added to the description in in a key: “white, with broad cross-bands on Th. III, Abd III and posterior edge of IV; also with a thin black line on the posterior border of abdomen II, the posterior edge of V and all VI dark”.

The lectotype of E. nigrella is cleared and it is impossible to see the chaetotaxy.

Entomobrya virgata from Lockerbie has a Mc formula of 3,1,0,2,2/0,3/1,0/0,0,1/0,0,0,2,2. This macrochaetal formula is unique as no other Entomobrya species possesses it, in particular that of Abd II and III. Considering simultaneously the chaetotaxy of Th II and Abd III, three species share the chaetotaxy: E. virgata, E. nigrina Latzel, 1918 and E. rohtangensis Baijal 1958. Abd II separates the three species having 1, 0; 1, 2 and 1, 3 Mc respectively.

The typical form of this species is only known from the type material from Yarrabah, North Queensland. In other States, it is represented by the following variety: var. nigrella Womersley 1934, defined here as a new comb. This variety differs from the typical form in that the pigment is continuous between the metanotum and the third abdominal segment.