Anatoly Babenko

Collembolan assemblages of polar deserts and subarctic nival communities.

Summary Collembolan assemblages were studied in two different regions of the Arctic, on the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago and upon the Putorana plateau (Southern Taimyr). The comparison of assemblages, developed in similar plant associations of the polar desert zone and of nival belt of Subarctic mountains, revealed that there are no common features in their species composition even though their structures were similar. This fact could be considered as an additional argument of the biota uniqueness of the polar desert.

New Palaearctic species of the tribe Thalassaphorurini Pomorski, 1998 (Collembola, Onychiuridae)

Abstract The paper is devoted to a taxonomic revision of the genus Sensillonychiurus Pomorski & Sveenkova, 2006. Five new species of this genus, i.e. Sensillonychiurus mirus sp. n., Sensillonychiurus taimyrensis sp. n., Sensillonychiurus vegae sp. n., Sensillonychiurus vitimicus sp. n., and Sensillonychiurus amuricus sp. n., as well as three new species of the related genus Allonychiurus Yoshii, 1995, i.e. Allonychiurus subvolinensis sp. n., Allonychiurus elikonius sp. n., and Allonychiurus unisetosus sp. n. are being described from various regions of Eurasia. The diagnoses of both genera are amended to include described species. Two genera, Tantulonychiurus Pomorski, 1996 and Thibaudichiurus Weiner, 1996, are treated as junior synonyms of the genus Allonychiurus. Agraphorura eisi (Rusek, 1976) is transferred to Sensillonychiurus; Tantulonychiurus volinensis (Szeptycki, 1964) and Tantulonychiurus asiaticus Babenko, 2007 to Allonychiurus. A review of morphological peculiarities of Sensillonychiurus is performed, comparisons with the other genera of Thalassaphorurini given, and a key to the known species provided.

Effects of Cushion Plants on High-Altitude Soil Microarthropod Communities: Cushions Increase Abundance and Diversity of Mites (Acari), but not Springtails (Collembola)

ABSTRACT Cushion plants in alpine ecosystems act as nurse species, which modify and alleviate environmental conditions and positively influence the diversity and abundance of other organisms. Soil fauna in alpine environments should benefit from nurse plant facilitation, but this has not been investigated. We compared diversity, abundance, and community structure of soil microarthropods (Collembola, Oribatida, Mesostigmata, Prostigmata, Endeostigmata, and Astigmata) under cushion plants and in adjacent open microsites in high altitude patterned ground landscapes in New Zealand. We investigated how cushion plants influence environmental factors, and how environmental factors and species traits contribute to microarthropod community structure. The results show that cushion plants are a key in maintaining the biodiversity of soil microarthropods in the high alpine. Cushion plants maintain higher moisture and organic matter content in the soil, provide productive and structurally complex habitat, and mitigate disturbance. Abundance and species richness of Oribatida, Mesostigmata, and Prostigmata were higher under cushion plants. In contrast, abundance of Collembola was higher in open microsites, while their species richness similar in and out of cushions. Oribatida assemblages were dominated by small asexual species, indicating a disturbed environment. Oribatida community structure was significantly related to the microhabitat in two out of three mountain ranges. Collembola assemblages were similar in and out of cushions. Higher soil moisture and organic matter content under cushion plants were significant in explaining patterns in microarthropod assemblages, although high percentage of variability was not explained by environmental variables. There was no effect of cushions on soil temperatures. Species identity of the cushion plant did not influence abundance, species richness, or community assemblages of mites and springtails; however, some species were associated with either Dracophyllum or Raoulia cushions.

Subdivision of the tribe Oligaphorurini in the light of new and lesser known species from North-East Russia (Collembola, Onychiuridae, Onychiurinae).

Abstract The paper is devoted to a taxonomic review of Oligaphorurini from the north-eastern part of Palaearctic. Two new species, i.e. Oligaphorura ambigua sp. n. and Oligaphorura duocellata sp. n., are described. Four species, Oligaphorura nataliae (Fjellberg, 1987), Oligaphorura interrupta (Fjellberg, 1987), Oligaphorura pingicola (Fjellberg, 1987), and Micraphorura alnus (Fjellberg, 1987), are redescribed on base of the types and new material, and remarks on other species known for the region, Oligaphorura groenlandica (Tullberg, 1876), Oligaphorura ursi (Fjellberg, 1984), Oligaphorura aborigensis (Fjellberg, 1987), and Micraphorura absoloni (Börner, 1901), are given to clarify their generic affiliation. Finally, merits and disadvantages of the current subdivision of the tribe are discussed and a key to the northern species of the tribe is provided.

Austrodontella monticola sp. nov., a new species of Collembola from montane New Zealand.

Collembola were collected from soil in the alpine belt (1600-1900 m a.s.l.) of the Southern Alps of New Zealand. A list of species found is provided. Austrodontella monticola sp. nov., the third species of a Odontellidae genus with a southern distribution is described. The other two species in the genus occur in southern Australia and in the Indian Ocean sector of the Subantarctic respectively. Notes on A. trispina (Womersley, 1935), the type species of the genus, are provided.

About some unusual Asiatic taxa of Isotomidae (Collembola)

Three new species and one new genus are described in this paper: Mucronia fjellbergi sp. nov, Aggresopygus sibiricus sp. et gen. nov, and A. armatus sp. nov. Additional details of morphology and distribution are provided for Micrisotoma achromata Bellinger. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D2A206F3-F51B-479B-8930-2A7DC7522412

Two new littoral species of the genus Anurida Laboulbène, 1865 (Collembola, Neanuridae) from the Pacific coast of Asia

Two new littoral species of the genus Anurida, viz. A. kyshyensis sp. nov. and A. abashiriensis sp. nov., have been described from the eastern coasts of Chukchi Peninsula (Russia) and Hokkaido Island (Japan), respectively. The former species is most similar to sympatric A. similis Fjellberg, 1985 and A. martynovae Fjellberg, 1985 differing from both of them due to the permanent presence of additional lateral setae on thorax and 3+3 axial setae on Abd.4. A. abashiriensis sp. nov., having unique mandibles and hypertrophic elongate maxillae with long lamellae, is hard to compare with any known species of Anurida and allied genera.

Taxonomy of a predaceous springtail: the revision of the Palaearctic species of Metisotoma Maynard, 1951

Metisotoma grandiceps (Reuter, 1891), the only veritable predator among springtails, is redescribed from materials collected near the type locality (Taimyr) and from Siberia and Far East. Its distribution in Holarctic is stated and the taxonomic position is discussed. A syntype of M. macnamarai (Folsom, 1918) (Canada) and the holotype of M. ursi (Yosii, 1972) (Japan) were redescribed as far as was possible. Two new species, M. stebaevae sp. nov. and M. bermani sp. nov., from the Altai Mountains and Magadan Region are described. Labial palp, number of s-setae, macrochaetotaxy, and ventral chaetotaxy of body are considered to be of diagnostic value separating the species. Some observations of predator behavior in laboratory conditions are presented.

Isotomidae of Japan and the Asiatic part of Russia. I. Folsomia ‘inoculata’ group

Abstract The paper considers blind species of the genus Folsomia having two pairs of macrosetae on both meso- and metathorax and united in so-called ‘inoculata’ group, which is given a new, more laconic definition. Morphological characters important in the group’s taxonomy are discussed and a further division into four subgroups is proposed. Eight new species, i.e., F. amurica Potapov & Kuznetsova, sp. n., F. breviseta Potapov & Kuznetsova, sp. n., F. calcarea Potapov, sp. n., F. imparis Potapov & Hasegawa, sp. n., F. laconica Potapov & Kuznetsova, sp. n., F. tertia Potapov, sp. n., F. trisensilla Potapov, sp. n., and F. tubulata Potapov & Babenko, sp. n., are described. F. hidakana Uchida & Tamura and F. inoculata Stach are redescribed basing on new material, for the latter species the Stach’s individuals were also examined. A key to species of the group is given.

Catalogue of type materials of springtails (Hexapoda, Collembola) in the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids & Nematodes

The catalogue assembles and updates all data concerning the type material of Collembola kept in the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids & Nematodes in Ottawa (CNC). Information is provided for type material of 69 species. Included are holotypes of 31 species (together with 5 ones from Cretaceous amber), syntypes of 26 species (four of them are presently considered to be junior synonyms) and paratypes of 32 species (one of which is considered a junior synonym). Essential label data, references to original descriptions, and modern status including synonyms are given.