The first troglobiotic species of the family Pudeoniscidae (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea), with descriptions of a new genus and two new species

Ivanklin Soares Campos-Filho,Maria Elina Bichuette,Paula Beatriz Araujo,Giuseppe Montesanto,Stefano Taiti

doi:10.3897/subtbiol.23.20963

Ivanklin Soares Campos-Filho, Maria Elina Bichuette + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.23.20963

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Abstract

Approximately 170 species of terrestrial isopods are known from Brazil, but only 12 are considered troglobionts. The family Pudeoniscidae comprises four species in two genera, Brasiloniscus and Pudeoniscus. After the examination of material collected in caves in the state of Bahia, a new genus and two new species have been recognized, Iansaoniscus iraquara gen. et sp. n. from Buraco do Cão cave, Iraquara, and Iansaoniscus georginae gen. et sp. n. from Borboletas cave, Paripiranga. The new genus and new species are placed in Pudeoniscidae on the basis of some morphological characteristics, such as antennal flagellum with second and third articles divided by a slender suture, epimera of pereonite 1 with dorsolateral furrow reduced or absent, and shape of uropods. The Brazilian subterranean environments are now under potential threat because of recent legislation for cave exploitation, and the knowledge of the subterranean biodiversity of the country is thus of primary importance for its effective conservation.

Highlights

Terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea) constitute one of the most diverse groups within Isopoda, including more than 3,700 described species (Sfenthourakis and Taiti 2015)
More than 300 species of troglobiotic terrestrial isopods are known in the world (Taiti 2004, 2014, 2016; Taiti and Gruber 2008; Taiti and Xue 2012; Tabacaru and Giurginca 2013; Campos-Filho et al 2014, 2015a, 2016, in press; Souza et al 2015; Taiti and Wynne 2015a)
Brazil has more than 15,000 caves in different lithologies, including limestone, sandstone, magmatic and iron ore, representing 7% of the total estimated number of caves in the country (Auler 2002; Williams 2008; Sallun Filho and Karmann 2012; CECAV 2015)

Summary

Introduction

Terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea) constitute one of the most diverse groups within Isopoda, including more than 3,700 described species (Sfenthourakis and Taiti 2015). Approximately 170 species of terrestrial isopods are known from Brazil, of which 34 are recorded from caves (Souza-Kury 1993; Souza et al 2006, 2015; Campos-Filho and Araujo 2011; Campos-Filho et al 2014, 2015b, 2016, 2017, in press; Souza et al 2015; Cardoso et al 2016; Bastos-Pereira et al 2017). A new genus and two new species of Pudeoniscidae from limestone caves in the state of Bahia are described, representing the first troglobiotic taxa within the family.

Results

Conclusion