Insular species swarm goes underground: two new troglobiont Cylindroiulus millipedes from Madeira (Diplopoda: Julidae)
Author
Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S.
Author
Enghoff, Henrik
text
Zootaxa
2014
3785
3
481
489
journal article
46039
10.11646/zootaxa.3785.3.9
7e8ffebd-d276-4f40-82fb-55d14269d048
1175-5326
226844
2C82B30E-8FDA-4F7B-AC49-40BD3F8383F8
Cylindroiulus oromii
n. sp.
Figs. 8–14
Type
material.
Holotype
, ♂,
Portugal
,
Madeira
, Machico, Landeiros lava tube, É. Nunes leg.,
18 September 2002
,
Paratypes
: same data as
holotype
but
28 August 2002
, 2 ♀.
Diagnosis.
A subterranean julid of the
Cylindroiulus madeirae
-group. Unpigmented and blind. Differs from
C. julesvernei
n. sp.
, the only other blind species in the group by the shape of the male gonopod.
Description.
♂: 49 podous + 2 apodous rings + telson
♀: 52 podous + 2 apodous rings + telson
Vertical body diameter (H)
1.1 mm
(male),
1.34 mm
(female). Integument unpigmented; eyes absent (
Fig. 8
). Length of antennae 1.6 × H in male, 1.1 × H in female. Limbus cells with a smooth margin (“the normal
type
” of
Enghoff 1982
). Length of legs 0.98 × H in male, 0.59 × H in female. Tarsus length/height 3.7–4.6. Length of claw 7.0–9.2% of total leg length. Accessory claw exceptionally short: 30% shorter than claw. Pilosity of preanal ring exclusively marginal. Pilosity of anal valves extensive.
Gonopods
(
Figs. 9–14
): Length of gonopods 0.84 × maximum body height (H) (
Figs. 9, 12
). Promerite in anterior view (
Fig. 11
) slender, with mesal margin convex; in mesal view (
Figs. 9–10
) with margin of flagelliferous lobe strongly convex; in lateral view (
Figs. 12–13
) with subparallel margins, posterior margin with a low, rugose convexity at 2/3 height. Mesomerite (
Figs. 10, 13
) as high as promerite, shaped like a pointed, twisted spoon. Anterior margin rugose in distal half. Paracoxal process conspicuous, in posterior view subrectangular, in mesal view pointed-triangular (
Fig. 14
). Solenomerite (
Figs. 9–10, 12–14
) in lateral view with subparallel margins, without distinct laterad flanges, mesal swelling large, keel-like, parallel to long axis of solenomerite; distally without fringes; anterior flagellum-conducting lamella with minute denticles.
Vulvae
(
Fig. 15
): Vulvae typical of the
C. madeirae
-group: operculum without setae and receptaculum seminis a stalked sphere with a small tubular appendix (
Fig. 15
).
Etymology.
The new species is dedicated to Professor Pedro Oromí, a truly inspiring biologist, as recognition of his magnificent contribution to the knowledge of the Macaronesian cave fauna.
Distribution and habitat.
Cylindroiulus oromii
n. sp.
has been discovered in Landeiros lava tube, located in the volcanic complex of São Roque/Paúl (SRP) at
200 m
.
a.s.l., within the Santo da Serra lava flow which also harbors the Cavalum caves, about
500 m
away (
Prada & Serralheiro 2000
,
Nunes 2005
). Its mean temperature is 16–17º C (
Nunes 2005
).
Nunes (2005)
provided the first insight into the fauna of Landeiros lava tube. Two troglobiont species were recorded: the
Cylindroiulus
sp., here described as
Cylindroiulus oromii
,
and the carabid beetle
Thalassophilus pieperi
Erber, 1990
, as well as several troglophile species: the snail
Oxychilus (Oxychilus) draparnaudi
(Beck, 1837)
, the mites
Veigaia uncata
Farrier, 1957
and
Uroseius acuminatus
(Koch, 1847)
, the spider
Steatoda grossa
(Koch, 1838)
, a species of terrestrial isopod, genus
Soteriscus
Vandel, 1956
, a species of centipede, genus
Lithobius
Leach, 1814
, two species of springtails, genus
Onychiurus
Gervais, 1841
, the carabid beetle
Trechus fulvus
Dejean, 1831
, several dipterans of the families
Phoridae
and
Psychodidae
.
FIGURE 8.
Cylindroiulus oromii
n. sp.
habitus of adult female
in situ
and preserved. Scale bar: 2 mm. (Inset: photo of live specimen, courtesy of É. Nunes).
FIGURES 9–14.
Cylindroiulus oromii
n. sp.
male gonopod. 9
–
10: mesal view, 11: pro- & mesomerite, anterior view, 12
–
13: lateral view, 14: opisthomerite, posterior view. afl: anterior flagellum-conducting lamella, f: flagellum, fl: flagelliferous lobe of promerite, fp: finger-shaped projection of promerite, m: mesomerite, p: promerite, pc: lateral rim of paracoxite, pfl: posterior flagellum-conducting lamella, pp: paracoxal process, s: solenomerite, sc: sperm channel, t: apical fringe. Scale bar: 100 µm.
FIGURE 15.
Cylindroiulus oromii
n. sp.
vulva. bu: bursa, op: operculum, rs: receptaculum seminis,. Scale bar: 100 µm.
Other millipedes were recorded in this cave, the epigean blaniulid
Blaniulus guttulatus
(Fabricius, 1798)
, and the epigean polydesmid
Brachydesmus proximus
Latzel, 1889
; these species are probably introduced to
Madeira
.