Discovery of a New Species of the Aackia Yosii, 1966 from Sikkim, India (Collembola: Isotomidae)

Abstract

This study describes a new species, Aackia sikkimensis sp. nov., from the Eastern Himalayan Hotspot region in Sikkim, India. With this discovery, the genus Aackia Yosii, 1966, now comprises two species, both of which are found in the Himalayas. Both species are characterized by a dorsally swollen distal dens and a large distal chaeta on the dens. This new species differs from A. karakoramensis Yosii, 1966 by the absence of an inner tooth on the unguis and unguiculus, absence of chaetae on lateral flap of Ventral Tube, fewer chaetae on the retinaculum, and a rounded Post Antennal Organ. The two species have been found in the Himalayas. The two sites where they were located show a significant altitude difference of 4500 meters, with a distance of 1420 kilometers between them.
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