Lobella lucifera, Ohira & Nakamori, 2025

Ohira, Atsuko & Nakamori, Taizo, 2025, Two new luminous species of Neanuridae (Collembola) and the discovery of bioluminescence in the genus Crossodonthina Yosii, Zootaxa 5659 (3), pp. 377-399 : 388-392

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5659.3.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:39464D1F-AEFD-467F-9304-BB92D193E1FD
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15823342
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BB87DC-9403-2E44-7CE4-FD38FBE9FCFA
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Lobella lucifera
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lobella lucifera sp. nov.

[Japanese name: Akahoshi-aka-ibotobimushi]

Figs 1D, 1I View FIGURE 1 , 6–8 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 ; Tables 6–9

Material examined. Holotype: male, collected at Nishinakasone , Hirara , Miyako Island , Okinawa, Ryukyu Archipelago , Japan (24.8104°N, 125.3135°E, elevation 33 m) on 10 May 2023 by Ohira, A., Nakamori , T. and Takaesu , R. Deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan (NSMT-Ap 709; INSD accession number LC857139 View Materials for COI gene). GoogleMaps

Paratypes: 3 males, 3 females and 1 unknown, collected at Nishinakasone , Hirara , Miyako Island , Okinawa, Ryukyu Archipelago , Japan (24.8104°N, 125.3135°E, elevation 33 m) on 10 May 2023 by Ohira, A., Nakamori , T. and Takaesu , R. Deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan (NSMT-Ap 710–716; INSD accession numbers LC857138 and LC857140 for COI gene) GoogleMaps .

Other materials examined. One male, two females, collected at Nishinakasone , Hirara , Miyako Island, Okinawa, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan (24.8104°N, 125.3135°E, elevation 33 m) on 10 May 2023 by Ohira, A., Nakamori, T GoogleMaps . and Takaesu , R .

Diagnosis. Eyes 3+3, black. Apically displaced sgd, close to i on Ant. IV. Mandible tridentate with the apical tooth subdivided into 3 toothlets. Maxilla styliform. Labrum chaetal formula 2/2, 2. Labium with 10 chaetae and 2 x. Cephalic O chaeta present, head Oc with 3 chaetae, De with 2 chaetae. De of Abd. II and III with 4 chaetae. Th. I–Abd. VI lacking unpaired tubercles. Sensory chaeta present on tubercle L of Abd. IV. Di of Abd. V with 3 chaetae, including 1 microchaeta. Tubercle De separated from tubercle Dl on Abd. V. Tubercle Di of Th. II and III with 3 chaetae each. Unguis with 1 inner tooth.

Description. Body length approximately 2.5–3.1 mm. Colour bright red in living specimen ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ) and white in alcohol. Eyes 3+3, black ( Fig. 6B View FIGURE 6 ). Postantennal organ absent. Antennae shorter than head. Ant. III and IV dorsally fused ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ). Ant. I and II with 7 and 11 chaetae, respectively. Ant. III organ with 5 sensory chaetae, including sgd, sgv, ms and 2 finger-like rods in separate pits. Apically displaced sgd, close to i, Ant. IV with trilobed apical bulb, dorsal chaetotaxy with 8 S and i ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ). Mandible thin and tridentate with the apical tooth subdivided into 3 toothlets ( Fig. 7D View FIGURE 7 ). Maxilla head consisting of 2 stylets: one with 2–3 minute apical teeth ( Fig. 7E View FIGURE 7 ). Labrum granulated, chaetal formula 0/2, 2 ( Fig. 7B View FIGURE 7 ). Labium with 10 chaetae and 2 x ( Fig. 7C View FIGURE 7 ).

Cephalic tubercles and chaetotaxy. Cephalic area with 14 separate tubercles. Chaetotaxy of dorsal head as in Fig. 6B View FIGURE 6 . Tubercle Cl with 4 chaetae, An with 4 chaetae, Fr with 3 chaetae (O chaeta present), Oc with 3 chaetae, Di with 2 chaeta, De with 2 chaetae, Dl with 4 chaetae, L+So with 11–15 chaetae ( Fig. 6B View FIGURE 6 , Table 6). Ventral chaetotaxy of the head as in Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 and Table 7.

Body tubercles and chaetotaxy. Th. I–Abd. VI lacking unpaired tubercles. Th. I with 3+3 tubercles (Di, De, Dl). Th. II–Abd. IV with 4+4 tubercles, respectively (Di, De, Dl, L). Abd. V dorsally with 3+3 tubercles (Di, De, Dl). Abd. VI with 1+1 tubercles. Body chaetotaxy as in Fig. 6B View FIGURE 6 and Table 8. Sensory chaetae on the body acuminate, long and smooth; macrochaetae rough, sheathed and apically rounded ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ). Formula of s on half terga of Th. II–Abd. V as 2+ms, 2/1, 1, 1, 2, 1. Sensilla present on tubercles De on Th. II to Abd. V and tubercles Dl on Th. II to III. Lateral sensilla present on tubercle L on Abd. IV. Ventral chaetotaxy of Abd II –VI as in Fig. 6C View FIGURE 6 .

Appendages. Chaetotaxy of legs, ventral tube and furcular remnant as in Table 9. Tibiotarsi I–III with 19, 19 and 18 chaetae, respectively. Unguis with 1 inner tooth. Unguiculus absent ( Fig. 7F View FIGURE 7 ). Ventral tube with 4+4 chaetae. Furcula absent. Furcular remnant with 3–4 chaetae ( Fig. 6C View FIGURE 6 ). Genital plate with 32–42 chaetae (male: 32–42; female: 32–42). Each ventral anal valve with 15 Ve chaetae and 2–3 hr macrochaetae ( Fig. 6C View FIGURE 6 ). Dorsal anal valve with 3 hr microchaetae ( Fig. 6C View FIGURE 6 ).

Etymology. The name lucifera , as a Latin adjective, is derived from another Latin adjective lucifer (bringing light), referring to the light-emitting ability of the species.

Ecology. This species was found in leaf litter and on dead wood. The species emitted light when stimulated ( Fig. 1I View FIGURE 1 ). Lobella lucifera sp. nov. can be fed plasmodia of F. septica in the laboratory.

DNA barcoding. The p -distances for the COI gene within L. lucifera sp. nov. (4 individuals) were 0.0%. No COI gene sequences with>85% identity to the new species were found in the GenBank or BOLD databases. The p -distances of the COI gene between L. lucifera sp. nov. and other congeneric species, i.e., Lobella monstrum Ohira & Nakamori, 2023 ( LC760502 View Materials – LC760504 View Materials ; Ohira et al. 2023), L. sauteri ( LC760492 View Materials – LC760494 View Materials ; Ohira et al. 2023) and L. yambaru ( LC760495 View Materials – LC760497 View Materials ; Ohira et al. 2023), collected from their respective type localities, were 18.6%, 16.8% and 14.8%, respectively.

Remarks. Lobella lucifera sp. nov. is most similar to L. sauteri and L. yambaru according to the key of Lobella described by Ohira et al. (2023). However, the new species can be distinguished from them by having 1 of the 3 chaetae on Di tubercles of Abd. V as a microchaeta (2 of the 3 chaetae as microchaetae in L. sauteri and L. yambaru ), and blunt macro- and mesochaetae (pointed in L. sauteri and L. yambaru ).