Campylothorax sabanus Wray 1953

Campylothorax sabanus (Wray, 1953)

This species was originally described from the Bank of Puerto Rico and, although extensive colour pattern variation has been reported from throughout its range (Mari Mutt 1987; Soto-Adames 2002a), populations appear to be otherwise identical in traditional morphological characters. New observations of the maxillary lamellae suggest that the populations of the Virgin Islands may represent a different species. In all individuals from Puerto Rico, maxillary lamella 1 has an anterior subapical extension or lobe similar to that in C. notidanus sp. nov. (Figure 5 B, C), whereas in the three individuals from the Virgin Islands (two from St. John, one from St. Thomas) lamella 1 is tapered and apically acuminate, without the subapical lobe. Analysis of genetic variation in other springtails (Soto-Adames 2002b) shows the populations of the Virgin Islands to be isolated from those of the Puerto Rican mainland, and it is very possible that the distinct lamella morphology in Virgin Islands populations of C. sabanus reflects species-level differences. However, given the subtlety of the morphological difference, formal description of the Virgin Islands species will have to await examination of more extensive samples, in combination with analysis of molecular markers.