Biology, affinity and description of an unusual aquatic new genus and species of isotomidae (collembola) from high altitude lakes in Tasmania

• Published in: European Journal of Entomology
• Main Authors: Greenslade, Penelope, Potapov, Mikhail
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Czech Academy of Sciences 2015
• Subjects: 0608 Zoology; Adversity selection; Antarctica; Chionobora amila; Collembola; Diatoms; Isotomidae; New genus; New species; Refugia; Aquatic organism; Arthropod; Diatom; Lake water; Macrophyte; Refugium; Taxonomy; Australia; Central Highlands; Tasmania; Victoria; Bacillariophyta; Desoria klovstadi; Invertebrata; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/89636; https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2015.032

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.