Five New Species of Collembola (Isotomidae) from Jharkhand, India

Abstract

The present study of collembolan fauna is based on collection made during 2012-2015, from different districts of Jharkhand, India, as a part of the “Annual Action Plan” of Apterygota section of Zoological Survey of India. Collembola, commonly called “spring-tails”, are small, entognathous, wingless hexapods possessing a spring-like forked jumping organ, the furcula, underneath the fourth abdominal segment. They are minute in size (less than 6 mm in length); antennae primarily with 4 segments. The presence of antennae and absence of cerci distinguish them from the other entognathous hexapods. The collembolans have very diverse distribution occurring in all Zoo-geographical regions of the world inhabiting a wide range of ecological niche and climate. The first record of Collembola was known from Ghatsila area of Jharkhand by the published work of Mandal & Hazra (2004). Thereafter, the present project was undertaken for extensive study of Collembola fauna of Jharkhand as per Annual Plan of Research Work of Apterygota section for the year 2012-2015. Mandal (2014a, b, c, 2015), Mandal and Hazra (2013), Mandal & Suman (2014) published Collembola from different sanctuaries of Jharkhand. Mandal, Suman & Bhattacharya (2016) published four new species of collembola from different districts of Jharkhand. The species belonging to the family Isotomidae, identified of the collembolan found are included into the genera, Proisotoma and Isotomurus. A total of 5 species of Collembola belonging to 2 genera under 2 sub families of family Isotomidae have been described as new to science from the state of Jharkhand, India. The detailed descriptions of each species of Collembola with discussion for difference between closely related species, total numbers of species in the world as well as from India, key to the Indian species and their distribution are also provided.