Spherarmadillo schwarzi, RICHARDSON, 1907

Schmidt, Christian, 2007, Revision of the Neotropical Scleropactidae (Crustacea: Oniscidea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151, pp. 1-339 : 27-28

SPHERARMADILLO SCHWARZI RICHARDSON, 1907

Spherarmadillo schwarzi Richardson, 1907 – Van Name (1936); Mulaik (1960 *); Schultz (1970, 1984), Schmalfuss (1980), Leistikow & Wägele (1999 *); Schmalfuss (2003 *).

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF SPHERARMADILLO

1. Lateral margins of pleon epimera and uropod sympodites serrate; male pleopod 1 endopodite simple, curved laterally.................................................... Spherarmadillo schwarzi Richardson, 1907

1.* Lateral margins of these parts smooth; male pleopod endopodite 1 with a small, acute lobe on the lateral margin, curved laterally................................................................................. 2

2. Body well pigmented, with a dark slate grey/pale colour pattern............ Spherarmadillo nebulosus sp. nov.

2.* Pigment entirely absent.......................................................................... 3

3. Distal half of uropod endopodites projecting beyond the body outline................................................................................................ Spherarmadillo huatuscensis Mulaik, 1960

3.* Uropod endopodites not exceeding the sympodites only slightly....... Spherarmadillo cavernicola Mulaik, 1960

Material examined

Types: One ♀ holotype ( Guatemala, Livingston, leg. Schwarz & Barber, April 1906; USNM 33471 ). Other samples: (?) One immature ♀ ( Mexico, Palenque, leg. P. Beron, 18 Janaury 1982; MZUF 1442 ) .

Description ( Fig. 57 )

Female 18 × 7.7 mm (coloration not preserved). Eyes without lenses, but represented by patches of dark pigment. Tergites smooth, with small tricorn setae. Noduli laterales broken off, but their insertion pits are in a similar position as in Sphe. nebulosus . Coxal plate 1 on dorsal face along the margin with a furrow that is confluent with the schisma on the hind corner. Lower lobe of schisma shorter than upper lobe, but laterally more extended. Apical cone of the second antenna slightly shorter than the apical article of the flagellum. Visible part of uropod protopodites in dorsal view wider than long, with very small exopodite inserted on its medial margin. Apical margins of pleon epimera and uropod protopodites finely serrated.

Remark

The male character used in the key was taken from Schultz (1970), who described some characters based on specimens from Trece Aguas, Guatemala. Schultz (1984) erroneously wrote that the holotype is 8.1 mm long.

A small (2.1 mm wide, cephalothorax 1.25 mm wide), supposedly juvenile, specimen may also belong to this species. The lateral margins of pleon epimera and uropod sympodites are finely serrated, and weaker than in the holotype, but this can be attributed to the smaller size. The proportions of the uropods are similar, although the sympodites are slightly longer (Map Fig. 55 ).

Geographical distribution

Guatemala, Mexico. The place where the second specimen was collected could not be located with certainty. There are several places named ‘Palenque’ in Mexico.

Figures

Figure 55. Geographical distribution of Richardsoniscus portoricensis (1), Spherarmadillo cavernicola (2), Sphe. nebulosus (3), Sphe. schwarzi (4), and Troglopactes botosaneanui (5).

Figure 57. Spherarmadillo schwarzi Richardson, 1907: ♀ holotype, 18 × 7.7 mm, cephalothorax frontal and dorsal, pleotelson + uropods dorsal, habitus lateral (Guatemala, Livingston, leg. Schwarz and Barber, April 1906, USNM 33471).