New Lobellini (collembola : neanuridae) from Queensland contribute to understanding distribution and ecology of Australian fauna
- Authors: Smolis, Adrian , Greenslade, Penelope
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Austral Entomology Vol. 59, no. 2 (2020), p. 253-264
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- Description: Two new species from Queensland rainforest belonging to genera Hemilobella and Sphaeronura are described and illustrated with drawings and colour photographs. Hemilobella matildae sp. nov. Smolis and Greenslade is characterised by elongated tubercles laterally on body and an elongated ogival labrum. Sphaeronura ameliae sp. nov. Smolis and Greenslade differs from other taxa in the genus in chaetotaxic features and the presence of a male ventral organ. A new record of Australonura scoparia is included. The high species richness of lowland rainforests, in which these log inhabiting saproxylic species were found, is noted, and the contribution that extreme events such as cyclones in maintaining the fallen timber habitat is emphasised. The bright colour of these species may be caused by sequestered pigments from the slime moulds on which they feed. The colour probably also acts as a warning to predators that individuals are distasteful. A description of the distributions, characteristics, distinctiveness and possible genesis of Australian fauna of the subfamily Neanurinae is presented, and a checklist of species and key to all Australian genera of the subfamily is included. Species in this subfamily are predominately short-range endemics so should be surveyed whenever wet forests are under threat from logging or urban expansion. © 2020 Australian Entomological Society
Conspectus of Australian Brachystomellidae (Collembola) with description of new species of Rapoportella and redescription of Cassagnella anomala
- Authors: Greenslade, Penelope
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: European Journal of Entomology Vol. 115, no. 1 (2018), p. 117-126
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- Description: As part of a modern review of all Australian Collembola families, a key is provided to the nine genera of Brachystomellidae currently known from Australia, their morphology is compared, their distribution within and outside Australia is noted and the high diversity of genera in southern regions emphasised. Three Australian genera are endemic, five are also found in South America, South Africa and/or New Zealand and one has a cosmopolitan distribution. The distribution, ecology and habitat preferences of Australian genera are compared. Two genera, Cassagnella Najt & Massoud and Rapoportella Ellis & Bellinger, are newly diagnosed and additions to the description of C. anomala Womersley are given. Australian Cassagnella species appear restricted to southern, humid regions and C. anomala possesses some characters that indicate it is adapted to living in habitats that are periodically flooded. A new species, Rapoportella edwardi sp. n. is described in the rarer genus from drier eucalypt forests. The effect of agricultural practices on an introduced species of Brachystomella is noted and its indicator value emphasised. Possible threats to the endemic genera and species are noted.
Biology, affinity and description of an unusual aquatic new genus and species of isotomidae (collembola) from high altitude lakes in Tasmania
- Authors: Greenslade, Penelope , Potapov, Mikhail
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: European Journal of Entomology Vol. 112, no. 2 (2015), p. 334-343
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- Description: A new species of Isotomidae (Collembola) was collected from submerged stones on the edge of nine lakes on Tasmania's Central Highland Plateau. Because it did not comply fully with the characters of any existing genus, a new genus, Chionobora gen. n. is erected for it here. An Antarctic species, Desoria klovstadi (Carpenter), has characters which conform with the new genus so is formally transferred to the new genus here. The Antarctic Continent and Tasmania were last in proximity 60 million years b.p. so it is suggested both species are relicts persisting in probable ice-free refugia during glacial cycles. Gut contents of specimens of the new species exclusively contained diatoms in various stages of digestion and the species appears to graze on aquatic macrophytes, a feeding habit not recorded before for Collembola. We note the high numbers of endemic invertebrate taxa of restricted distributions in cold habitats of southern regions compared to warmer regions and stress their conservation values and threats to their populations.
Towards understanding Lepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 (Collembola, Entomobryidae) I : Diagnosis of the subgenus Setogaster, new records and redescriptions of species
- Authors: Mateos, Eduardo , Greenslade, Penelope
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Zootaxa Vol. 4044, no. 1 (2015), p. 105-129
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- Description: The taxonomic status of the subgenera of Lepidocyrtus Bourlet is confused. Currently ten subgenera are recognised but their separation, using the existing set of diagnostic characters, is not clear. Collections over the last forty years have shown that species of Setogaster Salmon, originally described as a genus (Trichogaster Handschin) and currently considered a subgenus of Lepidocyrtus, are common and widespread in Australia. The diagnostic characters of Setogaster, as given by Handschin, are: 1) the basal mucronal spine with spinelet; 2) lack of scales on antennae, legs, ventral tube and dorsal region of manubrium; and, for some species, 3) tufts of long filaments laterally on abdomen III. These three diagnostic characters for Setogaster are shared with some other subgenera, making their delimitation unclear. We provide here an array of new characters that are associated with Handschin's characters which separate Setogaster from all European species of the subgenera Lanocyrtus and Lepidocyrtus s. str. On this basis we define subgenus Setogaster more in detail, redescribe some species in the subgenus, corroborate the presence of the subgenus in many Australian localities, and confirm three records of exotic, introduced species in Australia. Lepidocyrtus nigrofasciatus Womersley, Lepidocyrtus praecisus Schott, and the Hawaiian Lepidocyrtus kuakea Christiansen & Bellinger, are placed in Setogaster subgenus; Lepidocyrtus (Trichogaster) pallida Salmon from Singapore is placed in the subgenus Acrocyrtus; Merapicyrtus Yoshii & Suhardjono is considered a synonym of Setogaster. Erratum: Towards understanding Lepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 (Collembola, Entomobryidae) II: New Australian species (Zootaxa (2021) 4981 (365-387) DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4981.2.9). On page 365, please include additional address for Penelope Greenslade: School of Science, Psychology and Sport, Federation University, Mt Helen, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. © 2021 Magnolia Press.
- Description: The taxonomic status of the subgenera of Lepidocyrtus Bourlet is confused. Currently ten subgenera are recognised but their separation, using the existing set of diagnostic characters, is not clear. Collections over the last forty years have shown that species of Setogaster Salmon, originally described as a genus (Trichogaster Handschin) and currently considered a subgenus of Lepidocyrtus, are common and widespread in Australia. The diagnostic characters of Setogaster, as given by Handschin, are: 1) the basal mucronal spine with spinelet; 2) lack of scales on antennae, legs, ventral tube and dorsal region of manubrium; and, for some species, 3) tufts of long filaments laterally on abdomen III. These three diagnostic characters for Setogaster are shared with some other subgenera, making their delimitation unclear. We provide here an array of new characters that are associated with Handschin's characters which separate Setogaster from all European species of the subgenera Lanocyrtus and Lepidocyrtus s. str. On this basis we define subgenus Setogaster more in detail, redescribe some species in the subgenus, corroborate the presence of the subgenus in many Australian localities, and confirm three records of exotic, introduced species in Australia. Lepidocyrtus nigrofasciatus Womersley, Lepidocyrtus praecisus Schott, and the Hawaiian Lepidocyrtus kuakea Christiansen & Bellinger, are placed in Setogaster subgenus; Lepidocyrtus (Trichogaster) pallida Salmon from Singapore is placed in the subgenus Acrocyrtus; Merapicyrtus Yoshii & Suhardjono is considered a synonym of Setogaster.
Synonymies of anomalous species of Arrhopalites from Australia and New Zealand
- Authors: Greenslade, Penelope
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Zootaxa Vol. , no. 2996 (2011), p. 66-68
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- Description: Characters of two species, described more than seventy years ago in the genus Arrhopalites Börner, A. coccineus Salmon, 1941 and A. adelaidica Womersley, 1933, are not consistent with the current diagnosis of the genus. Instead, the holotype of A. coccineus and two cotypes of A. adelaidica, but not the lectotype, are consistent with characters of Stenacidia violacea (Reuter, 1881) following the description of the genus and species published by Bretfeld (1999). Stenacidia violacea is the type species of its monotypic genus. As the characters of the genus Stenacidia, following Bretfeld (1999), are very different to those of Arrhopalites, but are consistent with the characters of A. coccineus and two cotypes of A. adelaidica, A. coccineus is synonymised with S. violacea here and identification of the cotypes of A. adelaidica corrected.
Taxonomy of the Proisotoma complex. II. A revision of the genus Subisotoma and a description of Isotopenola gen. nov (Collembola: Isotomidae)
- Authors: Potapov, Mikhail , Babenko, Anatoly , Fjellberg, Arne , Greenslade, Penelope
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Zootaxa Vol. , no. 2314 (2009), p. 1-40
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- Description: A taxonomic revision of the genus Subisotoma Stach, 1947 is presented. Subisotoma pusilla (Schaffer, 1900), S. tenuis (Dunger, 1982), and S. asiatica (Martynova, 1970) are re-described based on type and fresh material. Eight new species of the genus are described; S. pomorskii sp. nov., S. homonomica sp. nov., S. bisensillata sp. nov., S. guzeriplica sp. nov., S. posteriomollis sp. nov., S. multisensillata sp. nov., S. cruda sp. nov., and S. erratica sp. nov., using material from Eurasia. A key to the known species of Subisotoma is given. A new genus, Isotopenola gen. nov., is erected for some southern representatives of the 'Cryptopygus' complex related to Subisotoma: I. australis (Womersley, 1934) comb. nov., I. loftyensis (Womersley, 1934) comb. nov., I. nilgiris (Denis, 1947) comb. nov. They are re-described based on type and fresh material. A new species I. delicata sp. nov. is described from Australia. A key to the known species of Isotopenola is given.