Ptenothrix atra

MB Skidmore 1995 ON James 1933; Maynard 1951; Scott 1965 a all as unicolor; Christiansen & Bellinger 1981, 1998; Skidmore 1995 QC Marshall 1964, 1967 as unicolor; Christiansen & Bellinger 1981, 1998; Skidmore 1995; Therrien et al. 1999, 1999 a; Chagnon et al. 2000, 2000 a NS Stach 1966 as atra apigmentata; Christiansen & Bellinger 1981, 1998; Skidmore 1995 NF Puvanendran et al. 1997 Remarks: Our attribution of these records to P. atra is based on Christiansen & Bellinger’s opinion (1981, p. 1231): “ We are unable to find any clear morphological distinction between descriptions and figures of P. atra and the Nearctic form, which has almost universally been determined as unicolor. This is clearly the form described by Stach as atra apigmentata ”. Nevertheless, according to Bretfeld (1999, p. 158), “ the North American specimens may represent a separate species (unicolor Harvey, 1893 …) since Ant II has 7 long spines in the Palaearctic species but only 4 in the Nearctic …; more differences may be discovered in a re-examination ”. In accordance with the latter remarks, P. atra and P. unicolor (= P. atra apigmentata) are considered to be separate taxa on www. collembola. org. General distribution: Holarctic.