Terrestrial isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) from Brazilian caves

Abstract

To date, six species of terrestrial isopods were known from Brazilian caves, but only four could be classified as troglobites. This article deals with material of Oniscidea collected in many Brazilian karst caves in the states of Pará, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, and São Paulo, and deposited in the collections of the Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, the Coleção de Carcinologia do Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, and the collection of the Natural History Museum, Section of Zoology ‘La Specola’, Florence. Three new genera have been recognized: Spelunconiscus gen. nov. and Xangoniscus gen. nov. (Styloniscidae), and Leonardoscia gen. nov. (Philosciidae). Twenty‐two species have been identified, 11 of which in the families Styloniscidae, Philosciidae, Scleropactidae, Plathyartridae, Dubioniscidae, and Armadillidae are new to science: Leonardoscia hassalli sp. nov., Metaprosekia quadriocellata sp. nov., Metaprosekia caupe sp. nov., Amazoniscus leistikowi sp. nov., Novamundoniscus altamiraensis sp. nov., Trichorhina yiara sp. nov., Trichorhina curupira sp. nov., and Ctenorillo ferrarai sp. nov. from Pará; Xangoniscus aganju sp. nov. from Bahia; and Spelunconiscus castroi sp. nov. and Trichorhina anhanguera sp. nov. from Minas Gerais. Four new species in the families Styloniscidae (Spelunconiscus castroi sp. nov. and Xangoniscus aganju sp. nov.), Philosciidae (Leonardoscia hassalli sp. nov.), and Scleropactidae (Amazoniscus leistikowi sp. nov.) with highly troglomorphic traits can be considered as troglobitic, whereas all the remaining species are either troglophilic or accidentals. Brazilian caves are now under potential threat because of recent legislation, and the knowledge of the subterranean biodiversity of the country is thus of primary importance. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London

Three new species of terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) from Brazilian caves

“…can be considered as a stygobiont. As mentioned by Campos-Filho et al (2014), the troglobiotic condition of the new species of Trichorhina is not certain, since many species in this genus have an endogean way of life, showing similar morphological adaptations to troglobiotic forms. More extensive collections in endogean habitats outside caves are needed in order to determine whether they are troglobiotic or rather troglophilic.…”

“…The Brazilian laws (BRASIL, 1990(BRASIL, , 2008 guarantee cave preservation when rare or endemic troglobiotic or stygobiotic species are present (e.g. Campos-Filho et al, 2014;Cardoso et al, 2014). Delay in taxonomic research in subterranean environments may lead to Nauplius, 24: e2016001 Figure 13.…”

“…In Brazil, the genus includes 23 species, five of which occurring in caves: Trichorhina anhanguera Campos-Filho, Araujo & Taiti, 2014, Trichorhina curupira Campos-Filho, Araujo & Taiti, 2014, Trichorhina guanophila Souza-Kury, 1993, Trichorhina kaingangi Campos-Filho, 2015, and Trichorhina yiara Campos-Filho, Araujo & Taiti, 2014(Souza-Kury, 1993Campos-Filho et al, 2014.…”

“…The genus Xangoniscus was erected by Campos-Filho et al (2014) to include the amphibious species X. aganju from a cave at Cariranha, Bahia. The genus is mainly characterized by the male pleopod 2 endopod thickset with distal portion presenting a complex structure.…”

A new species and first record of Pulmoniscus Leistikow, 2001 (Isopoda, Oniscidea, Philosciidae) from Colombia

“…The present contribution is the first record of the genus Pulmoniscus for Colombia and for the continental shield of the Neotropics. As mentioned by Campos-Filho et al (2014), the taxonomic impediment has been considered the major problem for the knowledge of the biodiversity and proposal of conservation acts. Due to these reasons, taxonomic studies in TDF of Colombia have crucial importance for both the environment and the species and for the proposal of management and conservation acts to TDF.…”