Research Article |
Corresponding author: Carlos Mario López-Orozco ( clopezo1610@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Stefano Taiti
© 2024 Carlos Mario López-Orozco, Ivanklin Soares Campos-Filho, Livia Medeiros Cordeiro, Jonas Eduardo Gallão, Yesenia M. Carpio-Díaz, Ricardo Borja-Arrieta, Maria Elina Bichuette.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
López-Orozco CM, Campos-Filho IS, Cordeiro LM, Gallão JE, Carpio-Díaz YM, Borja-Arrieta R, Bichuette ME (2024) First amphibious Crinocheta (Isopoda, Oniscidea) from the Neotropics with a troglobitic status: a relictual distribution. ZooKeys 1192: 9-27. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1192.114230
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The first freshwater amphibian representative of Crinocheta (Oniscidea) from the Neotropics is described from caves within the Brazilian Cerrado biome, state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Kadiweuoniscus rebellis gen. et sp. nov. is placed in the family Philosciidae. The present work represents a significant contribution to future studies seeking to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes of Crinocheta within the Neotropical region. Moreover, it highlights the importance of biodiversity surveys in subterranean environments toward effective conservation efforts of these unique habitats and their surroundings.
Cave fauna, new genus, new species, Serra da Bodoquena, southwestern Brazil, тerrestrial isopods, troglobitic species
Terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea) are considered the most diverse group of isopods, with more than 4000 species in more than 500 genera in 38 or 39 families (
Regarding the phylogeny of the group, morphological studies show Oniscidea as monophyletic, including the Sections Ligiidae, Tylidae, Mesoniscidae, Synocheta, and Crinocheta (
In the last two decades, studies of terrestrial isopods have increased globally (
Most of the amphibian species of Oniscidea found in caves belong to the Section Synocheta, primarily from the families Styloniscidae and Trichoniscidae (
In the present study, a freshwater amphibian representative of Crinocheta (Philosciidae) with troglobitic status is described for the first time in the Neotropical region. Kadiweuoniscus rebellis gen. et sp. nov. is described from caves in the Brazilian Cerrado biome, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Serra da Bodoquena karst area.
The material was collected from three limestone caves of Serra da Bodoquena karst area, located in the Bodoquena municipality, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, southwestern Brazil (Figs
Specimens were collected by active search with the aid of tweezers and brushes, and stored in 75% ethanol; microhabitat data was also recorded. The identifications were based on morphological characters with the use of micropreparations in Hoyer’s medium (
The material examined is deposited in the zoological collection of the Laboratório de Estudos Subterrâneos (LES), Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil (curator: Maria E. Bichuette).
Family Philosciidae Kinahan, 1857
Kadiweuoniscus rebellis López-Orozco, Campos-Filho & Bichuette sp. nov., by present designation and monotypy.
Troglobitic species with amphibious habit; animals about 5 mm long; dorsal surface weakly granulated; noduli laterales absent; cephalon with lateral lobes weakly developed, frontal and suprantennal lines absent; pleonites 3–5 with epimera elongated, forming acute tips; telson triangular; antennula of three articles, distal article separated from medial article by fine suture; antenna with flagellum of three articles, apical organ long; molar penicil of mandibles dichotomized; maxillule outer branch with eight teeth; maxilla bilobate; maxilliped endite without penicil; male pereopods 1–7 gradually elongated; dactylar seta short and simple; uropod endopod inserted slightly proximally; pleopods 3–5 exopods with fringe of thin setae on all margins.
The new genus is named after the Kadiwéu indigenous people. The Kadiwéu are known as “Indian riders”, due to their horse-riding prowess, keeping in their mythology, art and rituals the way of being of a hierarchical society between masters and captives.
The family Philosciidae comprises more than 600 species in 113 genera widely distributed in Australia, southern Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas (
The family has great morphological plasticity and the representatives are mainly recognized by the ‘runner-type’ habitus (sensu
Kadiweuoniscus gen. nov. is included in Philosciidae by having most of these mentioned characters. The new genus is easily distinguishable from the other genera of Philosciidae due to its amphibian habit, and the pleonites 3–5 epimera elongated. As mentioned, the amphibious behavior is also present in species of Haloniscus; however, the new genus differs in the cephalon lacking frontal and suprantennal lines (vs. present in Haloniscus, except H. anophthalmus Taiti, Ferrara & Iliffe, 1995), pleonites 3–5 epimera elongated (vs. pleonites 3–5 epimera reduced in Haloniscus), antennula distal and medial articles separated by fine suture (vs. antennula with three distinct articles in Haloniscus), antennal flagellum with long apical organ (vs. short in Haloniscus), maxillula outer branch with 4 + 4 teeth, long and curved (vs. maxilla with 4 or 5 + 6 in Haloniscus), and maxilliped endite without penicil (vs. present in Haloniscus).
Brazil ● 1♂, holotype, Flor da Bodoquena Cave, Bodoquena, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 20°45'19"S, 56°48'8"W, 14.VIII.2011, leg. LM Cordeiro, LES 0029048 ● 1♂, 1♀ (part in micropreparations), paratypes, Dente de Cão Cave, 20°44'48"S, 56°47'4.2"W, 13.VI.2022, leg. LM Cordeiro, A Chagas-Jr, ME Bichuette, LES 0029049 ● 2♀♀, paratypes, same data as previous, LES 0029050 ● 1♀, paratypes, same data as holotype, LES 0029051 ● 1♀, paratypes, Urubu Rei Cave, 20°29'40"S, 56°51'11"W, 16.VI.2022, leg. LM Cordeiro, A Chagas-Jr, ME Bichuette, LES 0029052 ● 1♀, paratypes, same data as previous, LES 0029053 ● 1♂, same data as previous, LES 0029054.
Maximum body length: male 4.5 mm, female 5 mm. Body outline as in Fig.
Kadiweuoniscus rebellis López-Orozco, Campos-Filho & Bichuette gen. et sp. nov. (♀ paratype, LES 0029050) A, B habitus, dorsal view C dorsal scale-seta D epimera 6–7 E cephalon, frontal view F cephalon and pereonite 1, posterior view G cephalon and pereonite 1, lateral view H pleon, telson and uropods I antennula. Scale bars: 1 mm.
Male. Pereopod 1–7 (Fig.
The new species name alludes to the resistance group from the Star Wars fiction series, the Rebel Alliance, that fights against the Empire. The Kadiwéu indigenous people were known as warriors, and they fought for Brazil in the Paraguayan War to reclaim and secure their lands in the Serra da Bodoquena region. Today, they are confined to the outskirts of the Bodoquena plateau and the Pantanal plain. The designation ‘rebellis’ is used as an adjective for the genus name.
The physicochemical data of microhabitats of Kadiweuoniscus rebellis gen. et sp. nov. are: pH = 7.5, high conductivity (c. 0.450 µS.cm-1), moderate temperature (22 °C) and moderate dissolved oxygen (ca. 6.0 mg.l-1). pH values (neutral to basic) are typical of karst waters. The abundance is particularly low in each cave, and they have a preference for rocky substrates with a silty and pebble bottom (Fig.
The Serra da Bodoquena karst area exhibits taxonomic singularities among invertebrates, housing some remarkable phylogenetic relicts among peracarid crustaceans, such as Potiicoara brasiliensis Pires, 1987 (Spelaeogriphacea) and Megagidiella azul Koenemann & Holsinger, 1999 (Amphipoda) (
Kadiweuoniscus rebellis gen. et sp. nov. exhibits several distinctive features, including troglomorphisms, such as the absence of eyes and body pigments, as well as the elongation of the pereiopods. These characteristics are typical traits found in amphibious troglobitic Oniscidea (
Based on the phylogeny of South American Philosciidae, the genera Quintanoscia Leistikow, 2000 and Oxalaniscus were recovered as basal groups (
The Flor da Bodoquena Cave is a vertical fracture (Fig.
Considering the species distribution, although the limestones are continuous at the surface (Fig.
The species occurs in caves within the boundaries of the Serra da Bodoquena National Park, and is, a priori, legally protected. However, the caves are not controlled or even inspected by governmental bodies dealing with tourism and visitors. Furthermore, their surroundings have deforested areas with livestock farming and agriculture activities (Fig.
Finally, considering that specimens of the taxon described here have been collected since 2011, it is essential to emphasize the significance of scientific collections in the study of biodiversity. These collections serve as repositories of historical information about natural environments. Therefore, it becomes crucial to review the materials collected over extended periods and stored in such institutions. By doing so, we can enhance our understanding of the vast taxonomic diversity present in our ecosystems. Scientific collections play a crucial role in research, allowing the examination of specimens over time and across different locations, and safeguarding our biodiversity. Without these collections, our knowledge of the natural world and the species it harbors would be severely limited.
We thank to A. Chagas-Jr, D. M. Borges, S. G. Jimenez and D.F. Torres for help in the fieldtrip and collections; to B. D. Lenhare for preparation of map of Fig.
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
No ethical statement was reported.
The research was partially granted by ICMBio (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade)/Vale S.A. (TCCE 02/2020), under the project “Teste de metodologias propostas em Legislação Ambiental relacionadas à fauna subterrânea e proposição de novas áreas prioritárias para conservação de cavernas”, coordinated by MEB with operational management carried out by the IABS (Instituto Brasileiro de Desenvolvimento e Sustentabilidade). This study was financed in part by the Brazilian funding agencies CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil) – Finance Code 001 (PROAP/CAPES PPGERN).
Conceptualization: MEB, CMLO, JEG. Data curation: CMLO, YMCD, JEG, MEB. Formal analysis: ISCF, CMLO, MEB. Funding acquisition: LMC, MEB, JEG. Investigation: YMCD, MEB, RBA, LMC, CMLO, ISCF. Methodology: CMLO, RBA, ISCF, YMCD, MEB. Project administration: MEB, LMC, JEG. Supervision: MEB. Visualization: RBA, YMCD. Writing – original draft: CMLO, RBA, YMCD, ISCF. Writing – review and editing: JEG, LMC, CMLO, ISCF, RBA, YMCD, MEB.
Carlos Mario López-Orozco https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3251-7739
Ivanklin Soares Campos-Filho https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6139-8241
Livia Medeiros Cordeiro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0742-897X
Jonas Eduardo Gallão https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5268-7946
Yesenia M. Carpio-Díaz https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5116-9736
Ricardo Borja-Arrieta https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5064-5080
Maria Elina Bichuette https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9515-4832
All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text or Supplementary Information.
Supplementary video
Data type: mp4
Explanation note: Kadiweuoniscus rebellis López-Orozco, Campos-Filho & Bichuette gen. et sp. nov. locomotor behavior in the Flor da Bodoquena Cave, in rocky substrate with silt and pebbles. Video on YouTube: https://youtube.com/shorts/bNqp97PdPcY?feature=share.