A new amphibious troglobitic styloniscid from Brazil (Isopoda, Oniscidea, Synocheta)

Abstract

Xangoniscus (Styloniscidae, Synocheta, Isopoda) includes only two species, both occurring in Brazil. Here a new amphibious troglobitic species of this genus found at Olhos D’Água Cave, Northern Minas Gerais, Brazil, is described. Xangoniscus itacarambiensis sp. nov. differs from the congeneric species mainly due to the following characters: head well-detached from the first pereonite, second and third articles of antennula subequal in length, presence of six short aesthetascs in the antennula and reduced triangular lobe in the distal part of pleopod 2 endopod.

Chaimowiczia: a new Iuiuniscinae genus from Brazil (Oniscidea, Synocheta, Styloniscidae) with the description of two new troglobitic species

“…Some physical and chemical parameters of the water were measured during one visit (January 2015): dissolved oxygen 3.46 mg/L, temperature 25.35 °C, pH 8.45, electrical conductivity 0.565 µS/ cm, total dissolved solids 0.359 g/L. This cave also harbors two other stygobitic species and one troglobitic species: the amphipod Spelaeogammarus uai (Bastos-Pereira & Ferreira, 2017), which is easily observed in the water table (accessible through the small passage) and seldom at the small drainage; the isopod Xangoniscus santinhoi Cardoso, Bastos-Pereira, Souza & Ferreira, 2020b, which is only observed in the drainage; and the hydrometrid Spelaeometra gruta Polhemus & Ferreira, 2018. Considering the presence of the amphipod on the drainage, it is possible to infer that both water bodies are connected.…”

“…Local farmers have installed a gravitational pump inside the cave in order to drag water from the cave for consumption and irrigation (Fig. 9C) (Bastos-Pereira and Ferreira 2017). Hence, the drainage was partially altered and is disturbed by farmers, who periodically remove the sediment to allow water flow.…”

Catalogue of terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) from Brazil: an update with some considerations

“…-Silva et al, 2018 Distribution. Troglobitic and amphibious species endemic to Olhos D' Água cave, Itacarambi, state of Minas Gerais (Bastos-Pereira et al, 2017).…”

Cylindroniscus platoi (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Styloniscidae), a new cave-dwelling species from Lagoa Santa Karst, Southeastern Brazil

“…Terrestrial isopods comprise more than 3,700 described species distributed in almost all terrestrial habitats around the globe, including subterranean environments (Schmalfuss 2003;Sfenthourakis & Taiti 2015). To date, more than 180 species are known from Brazil (Campos-Filho et al in press), of which 36 are recorded from caves (Souza-Kury 1993;Souza et al 2006Souza et al , 2015Campos-Filho & Araujo 2011;Campos-Filho et al 2014, 2017a, 2017bSouza et al 2015;Cardoso et al 2016;Bastos-Pereira et al 2017). Among the aforementioned cave-dwelling species, only 14 are considered to be troglobionts, i.e.…”