Riding a wave of interest in biodiversity patterns in surface-dwelling communities, in 2000, Culver and Sket

Since the 1980s, with the widespread use of the phrase biodiversity

Based on 225 samples taken from different biotopes in the Edough Massif (northeastern Algeria) from 1998 to 2018, we compiled a list of 91 collembolan species names from the literature, of which 72 can be considered valid records. Fourteen of them are only known from this massif in Algeria, and eight are endemic of northeastern Algeria. These 72 species are spread over 14 families and 49 genera. The family Neanuridae is the most diverse with 18 species, including six species of the genus Friesea. The monotypic genus Edoughnura (Neanurinae) is endemic to the Edough and Collo massifs. Several of the listed species do not fully match the diagnosis of the species to which they have been assigned and may represent undescribed taxa. Entomobryidac as well as several habitats (epigean, deep soil, littoral) remain unsampled or undersampled in Edough, and are likely to host many more species than those listed in this paper.

Summary Characters used in the taxonomy of the genus Lepidonella Yosii, 1960 (Collembola: Paronellidae) are listed and discussed. Several new ones are introduced. An overview of pseudopore patterns across Collembola is presented, with several new locations of these structures across Entomobryomorpha. Their interest at different taxonomic level is underlined. The genus Lepidonella is redefined. The American species L. marimuti Soto Adames & Bellini, 2015 Soto-Adames FN , Bellini BC . 2015. Dorsal chaetotaxy of neotropical species supports a basal position for the genus Lepidonella among scaled Paronellidae (Collembola, Entomobryoidea). Florida Entomologist. 98(1):330–341. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] is placed in incertae sedis among Lepidonella. Lepidonella species of the world are listed with synonymies and combinations. The Malaysian troglobitic species Pseudoparonella doveri Carpenter, 1933 Carpenter GH . 1933. XIX. Fauna of the Batu caves, Selangor. Journal of the Federated Malay States Museum. 17:217–221. [Google Scholar] is redescribed in detail, with emphasis on its pattern of antennal chaetae, and transferred to the genus Lepidonella. Its close similarity with L. lecongkieti Deharveng & Bedos, 1995 Deharveng L , Bedos A . 1995. Lepidonella lecongkieti n.sp., premier Collembole cavernicole du Vietnam (Collembola, Paronellidae). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France. 100(1):21–24. [Google Scholar] from southwestern Vietnam caves is underlined. This disjunct distribution is briefly discussed.

The Towakkalak System located in the Maros karst of South Sulawesi is currently the richest of Southeast Asia in obligate subterranean species. It comprises several caves and shafts that give access to the subterranean Towakkalak river as well as many unconnected fossil caves, stream sinks, and springs located within its footprint. The total length of the caves linked to the active system is 24,319 m and comprises two of the longest caves of Indonesia, Gua Salukkan Kallang and Gua Tanette. Studies of its fauna began in 1985. There are 10 stygobionts and 26 troglobionts that are known from the system. The smaller adjacent system of Saripa has 6 stygobionts and 18 troglobionts, of which 1 and 3, respectively, are absent from Towakkalak. Like all tropical cave inventories, our dataset has limits due to identification uncertainties, gaps in habitat (waters, guano) and taxonomic coverage (micro-crustaceans, mites), sampling methods (pitfall trapping, Karaman–Chappuis), and problems of ecological assignment. A number of additional species are therefore expected to be found in the future. The Towakkalak and Saripa cave systems are included in the Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park and are under efficient protection, but parts of the Maros karst outside the park are under serious threat, mainly from quarrying.