New Folsomotoma species (Collembola) found on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands

Here we describe a new springtail species found on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island. The new species, Folsomotoma punctata, is known from sub-Antarctic South Georgia, but this is a first occurrence of this species for the South Shetland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic, increasing the total species number to 15. Considering the widespread distribution of F. punctata across Byers Peninsula, it seems most likely that this species has been present for a long time. That it was only now reported reflects the limited arthropod surveys conducted in this region of the South Shetland Islands, and highlights the need for more thorough and high spatial resolution systematic surveys across different vegetation and habitats to better understand the terrestrial biodiversity patterns in Antarctica.

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