Dicranocentrus nepalensis Mari Mutt & Bhattacharjee, 1980

Mandal, Pritha, Mandal, Guru Pada, Suman, Kusumendra Kumar, Bhattacharya, Kaushik Kumar & Kumari, Simran, 2024, Taxonomic insight on some newly recorded species of the springtails (Hexapoda: Collembola) from North Eastern and Eastern states of India, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 10 (2), pp. 215-229 : 217

Dicranocentrus nepalensis Mari Mutt & Bhattacharjee, 1980 ( Fig. 2)

Material examined. 81 specimens, India, Sikkim, South Sikkim district, 4 km from Ravangla , collected from leaf litter, 27°16'19.0"N, E 88°21'34.4"E, 2218 m a.s.l., 12-IX-2022, leg. G.P. Mandal, reg. no- 3428/H14 .; 3 specimens, India, Darjeeling district, 4 km from Mukhia Nursery, Pokhrabong , collected from leaf litter, 26°57'49.2"N, E 88°09'51.4"E, 2179 m a.s.l., 14-IX-2022, leg. G.P. Mandal, reg. no- 3429/H14 .

Diagnosis. Body length average 2.9 mm. General colour light yellow without any trace of pigment in body, except a median blue spot in middle of the antennae and coxa with diffuse blue pigment ( Fig. 2A). Tergal margins of Th. II-III, legs upto subcoxa, tita and apex of the head with diffused blue pigment patches. Ant. V–VI broken in all. Ratio of Ant. I: II: III: IV– 1: 5.9: 2.2: 7. Ant. I & III smaller than others. All labral chaetae are smooth and not bifurcated, formula as 4/5, 5, 4. Labial triangle with 5 basal ciliated and 4 smooth chaetae. Unguis slender curved with a basal paired, two inner unpaired, one external and outer teeth, Emp. lanceolate with an external tooth, tenent hair absent ( Fig. 2B). A single row of 4 chaetae laterally present on the basis of each coxa. Trochanteral organ with about 28–30 spinous setae on it. Fore, mid and hind tita with 6, 6, 7 spinous smooth chaetae respectively. VT anteriorly with 3+3 long ciliated chaetae, lateral flap with 55–60 short smooth chaetae. Ratio of manubrium: dens–1: 1.33. Bidentated mucro with a basal spine ( Fig. 2C).

Distribution in India. Sikkim (South Sikkim), West Bengal (Darjeeling).

General distribution. Himalayan Region ( Bellinger et al., 1996 –2024).

Remarks. In our specimens, the terminal unpaired tooth is not visible clearly. Most of the specimens have broken antennae, pin chaetae were not observed. Chaetotaxy same as the original description, in addition, Abd. IV with 10+10 lateral chaetae.