Study on Tullbergiidae of Tibet, China I. Metaphorura, Mesaphorura and Prabhergia (Hexapoda, Collembola)

Abstract. The Tullbergiidae of Tibet is studied for the first time and the genus Metaphorura Bagnall, 1936 is firstly recorded in China. Metaphorura motuoensis sp. n. from southeastern Tibet is described and illustrated. It is characterized by the presence of 1+1 pseudocelli on thoracic segment I, few vesicles (14 -16) on PAO, pseudocellar formula as 11/111/11111, all pseudocelli of type II, setae p4 on abdominal segment V as microsetae, weakly differentiated sensory seta p3 on abdominal segment V, absence of median process on Abd VI. In addition, Mesaphorura yosii (Rusek, 1967), Mesaphorura hylophila Rusek, 1982, and Prabhergia imadatei Tamura & Zhao, 1996 are recorded in Tibet for the first time. The type specimens of P. imadatei are re-examined and errors in the original description of chaetotaxy are corrected.