Newportia (Newportia) spelaea
- Dataset
- Two new troglobitic Newportia (Newportia) from Brazil (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha)
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- Ázara, Ludson Neves De, Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes (2014): Two new troglobitic Newportia (Newportia) from Brazil (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha). Zootaxa 3881 (3): 267-278, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3881.3.5
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Chilopoda
- order
- Scolopendromorpha
- family
- Scolopocryptopidae
- genus
- Newportia
- species
- Newportia spelaea
description
Description. Body length 19 mm, maximum width of tergites 0.8 mm, mid-body legs with maximum length 2 mm and the ultimate legs 10 mm. Body, antennal articles, legs whitish yellow, head and the first two tergites a darker yellow. Antennae with 17 elongated articles, reaching the end of tergite 8 (Figure 1 A); articles 1 – 8 increasing in length and reducing in width with subsequent articles about same length; articles 4 – 12 showing dorsal and ventral concavities, which give them a dorso-ventral " flattened " aspect (Figure 1 B – C). This condition is more developed in articles 4 – 5, which feature large concavities; articles 1 – 4 with a high density of lanceolate setae; articles 3 – 17 densely pilose; a row of long bristles surrounding the proximal part of all antennal articles. Cephalic plate: 1.3 times longer than wide, reaching middle of the first tergite with rounded posterior corners, convex sides, anterior apex slightly indented; paramedian sutures reaching middle of cephalic plate (Figure 1 F). Forcipular segment: coxosternite with short chitin-lines; anterior margin convex; with two convex chitinous lobes; trochanteroprefemoral process absent (Figure 1 G). Tergites: tergite 1 with an anterior transverse convex suture hidden by cephalic plate (Figure 1 D); tergites 5 – 7 with pretergites; tergites 1 – 22 with complete paramedian sutures; tergites 4 – 22 with lateral longitudinal sutures; tergites 1 – 22 without lateral margination with reduced and scattered setae (Figure 1 E); tergite of ultimate legbearing segment without sutures, posterior margin convex (Figure 2 A). Sternites: sternites 2 – 21 with a longitudinal sulcus and two incomplete lateral depressions; setae distributed more dense on the lateral, anterior and posterior edges; sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment, trapeziform, with the posterior margin straight. Legs: long and thin, on average 3 times as long as the corresponding tergites (2 – 4 times), increasing in relative length posteriorly; ventral surface of prefemur, femur, tibia and tarsus with long setae, dorsal surface with small setae; legs 2 – 22 with a lateral and ventral spurs on the tibia and one ventral spur on the tarsus; pretarsus of legs 1 – 22 with a pair of accessory spines 3 / 4 the size of the claws; legs 1 – 22 with indistinct division between tarsus 1 and 2. Coxopleuron: covered by pores of the same size; coxopleural process shorter than tergite of ultimate legbearing segment, with a small terminal spine. Coxopleural surface without setae; posterior margin of ultimate pleuron forming an obtuse angle forming a low process (Figure 2 B). Ultimate legs: elongated, 10 mm long, width of prefemur 0.2 mm (Figure 2 C); right ultimate leg with 7 ventral spinous processes on prefemur (IIIiIII) and 2 ventro-medial on femur (Ii), left ultimate leg with 5 ventro-medial spinous processes on prefemur (IIIII) and 2 ventral basal on femur (iI) (Figure 2 D); tibia the same length as the prefemur and femur; tarsus divided; tarsus 1 3 times shorter than the tibia, and tarsus 2 not divided into distinct articles (Figure 2 C); tarsus 1 and 2 with long setae; pretarsus absent. Natural history and threats. The Toca do Gonçalo cave occurs in limestone of the Caatinga group (of Quaternary age) (Figure 3 A – C). For more information on natural history, see Ázara & Ferreira 2014. Coincidently, in the same visit to the cave, a single specimen of another troglobitic centipede recently described, Cryptops (C.) spelaeoraptor, was also found (Ázara & Ferreira, 2014). Our team has visited the cave several times (since 1998) and only one specimen was found (Figure 3 D), which indicates its extreme rarity.
diagnosis
Diagnosis. Cephalic plate covering half of tergite 1; antennae reaching the end of tergite 8; pretergites visible; prefemur of ultimate leg with 5 – 7 ventral spinous processes and femur with 2 medial spinous processes.
etymology
Etymology. The Latin word spelaea, meaning “ cave ”.
materials_examined
Type material. Holotype: ISLA 4992 from Toca do Gonçalo Cave (10 º 30 ' 41 " S, 40 º 53 ' 39.8 " W), Campo Formoso, Bahia, Brazil, 08 / I / 2014, leg. Ferreira, R. L. WWF Ecoregion NT 1304 Caatinga.
Name
- Homonyms
- Newportia (Newportia) spelaea