Wankeliella bescidica Smolis & Skarzynski, 2004

Shayanmehr, Masoumeh, Yoosefi Lafooraki, Elham, Tully, Thomas, Dhaese, Cyrille & Ghajar Sepanlo, Mehdi, 2024, New records of springtails (Hexapoda, Collembola) for Iran from the Bula Hyrcanian forest, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 10 (1), pp. 31-42 : 34

Wankeliella bescidica Smolis & Skarzynski, 2004

Material examined. One specimen, Iran, Mazandaran province, Sari, Farim, Bula forest , soil, N36°03'46.18", E53°18'39.35", 1687 m a.s.l., 19-IV-2021, leg. E. Yoosefi Lafooraki.

Distribution. Asia and Europe ( Smolis & Skarzynski, 2004). The genus and species are reported for the first time from Iran.

Diagnosis. The identification of the species was done according to Smolis and Skarżyński (2004): Habitus typical of the genus Wankeliella . Body length (without antennae) 0.5 mm. Colour of the body white. Granulation fine and uniform. Antennae shorter than head. Ventral side of Ant. III with a thick sensory club. Ant. I and II with 7 and 11 chaetae respectively. PAO 2.2 times longer than the nearest pseudocellus, with 6–7 vesicles in two parallel rows. Chaetae differentiated into macro- and microchaetae (macrochaetae two times longer than microchaetae). Ventral tube with 4+4 distal chaetae and 2+2 chaetae in basal part. Clavate tibiotarsal chaetae absent. Claws without teeth. Empodial appendage short.

Remarks. In the original description of the species, sensillae behind the genital plate were mentioned to be spindle-like, but in specimens found in this study, these sensillae are not spindle-like