Aphilodon meganae, Calvanese & Brescovit & Bonato, 2019

Calvanese, Victor C., Brescovit, Antonio D. & Bonato, Lucio, 2019, Revision of the Neotropical species of Aphilodontinae (Geophilomorpha, Geophilidae), with eight new species and a first phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily, Zootaxa 4698 (1), pp. 1-72 : 31-33

Aphilodon meganae new species

( Figs 5B , 23–24 , 45C )

Type specimens. Holotype: ♀, from Reserva Bertary, Iporanga, São Paulo, Brazil, 07/2016, V. Calvanese & A. Silva col., deposited in IBSP 4068 . Paratypes: 4♀, 2♂ ( IBSP 4070 ), same locality as holotype .

Type locality. Brazil: São Paulo: Iporanga: Reserva Bertary : 24°35’14’’S, 48°35’41’’W .

Material examined. BRAZIL: São Paulo: Iporanga, Reserva Bertary (24°35’14’’S, 48°35’41’’W), 07/2016 , V. Calvanese & A. Silva col., 1♀ [holotype] ( IBSP 4068 ), 4♀ and 2♂ [paratypes] ( IBSP 4070 ); São Roque , Parque Ecológico da Mata da Câmara (23°31’41”S, 47°6’51”W), 12/04/2015 , V. Calvanese col., 1♂ ( IBSP 4082 ) .

Etymology. The epithet is a noun in the genitive case, in honor of biologist Adele Megan M. S. Silva, who collected the majority of individuals sampled for the species.

Diagnosis. A species of Aphilodon with: around 37–39 leg-bearing segments; known body length in adults 7–8 mm; cephalic plate length/width ratio ca. 1.2; antenna ca. 2 times as long as cephalic plate; pectinate lamella of mandible with straight denticles; coxosternite of second maxillae not distinctly shorter in middle part; telopodite of second maxillae with article 3 longer than article 2, with 2 subapical setae and 1 apical sensillum; forcipular pretergite not exposed, covered by cephalic plate; forcipule with posterior lateral margin concave; tarsungulum ca. 0.9 times as long as trochanteroprefemur+femur; forcipule with 3+1 denticles; distal denticle of trochanteroprefemur, denticle of femur and denticle of tibia relatively large and denticle of tarsungulum relatively small; all pleurites conspicuous; each coxopleuron with ca. 7–10 coxal pores in adults, all sparse; ultimate presternite exposed only close to lateral margins of metasternite and apparently divided in middle part; metasternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment length/width ratio ca. 0.7; ultimate legs ca. 2.5 times as long as penultimate legs, with tarsus 1 ca. 1.6 times as long as tibia.

A. meganae n. sp. differs from all species of Aphilodon by having body length <1 cm, <41 leg-bearing segments ( Fig. 24A ), telopodite of second maxillae with article 3 longer than article 2 ( Fig. 23A ), forcipular pretergite not exposed ( Fig. 24B ) and forcipule with posterior lateral margin concave ( Fig. 23 B–C).

Recorded specimens: 8, including 5♀ and 3♂, from two localities.

Distribution. Brazil—São Paulo: Iporanga; São Roque.

Description of holotype. Female (IBSP 4068).

Entire body: length 8, maximum width 0.28. Cephalic plate: sub-rectangular, with straight anterior margin and posterior margin rounded, length 0.25 and width 0.20 (length/width ratio 1.25). Antenna: length 0.5, 2.0 times as long as cephalic plate; AA II–XIII length/width ratio 0.40–0.86; LAA ca. 2.0 times as long as AA XIII.

Clypeus: 2+2 LS, 1+1 PS, 6+6 SCS. Mandible: PL with 14 denticles. First maxillae: TFM length 0.02 and width 0.02; DA with 1 apical and 1 subapical SL; MPC with 4+4 SL arranged in a row. Second maxillae: 4 little SE distributed in a row along the posterior margin of CSM, between the TSM; left TSM length 0.04 (1.8 times as long as TFM) and maximum width (basal margin) 0.02; in both TSM, T3 with 1 apical and 1 subapical SE and 1 apical SL; left T3 ca. 1.6 times as long as left T2.

Forcipular segment: FTE sub-trapezoidal to rectangular, length 0.07 (0.28 times as long as cephalic plate) and maximum width 0.23, with little scattered SE; FPT not exposed; FCX length 0.18 and width 0.21 (length/width ratio 0.85); FRL length 0.16, reaching the anterior margin of cephalic plate; TE with 2 denticles in TFF and 1 in TI, all relatively large; FD1 with 1 apical SE; FD2 with 1 apical and 2 subapical SE; FD3 with 1 apical and 2 subapical SE; TA with relatively short DT and 0.91 times as long as TFF.

Walking legs: 39 pairs; FL 0.74 times as long as second leg, with procoxae extended to midline of body; leg 19 length 0.29. Tergum from the first to penultimate leg-bearing segment: TE rectangular, with almost straight edges, relatively elongate when compared to other species; TE 15 length 0.11 and width 0.19 (length/width ratio 0.57), with two rows of 6+6 SE; PT elongated, 0.78 times as long as TE, with a row of 5 SE. Sternum from the first to penultimate leg-bearing segment: STF sub-oval, wider than long; other ST more elongated than in other Aphilodontinae; ST 19 length 0.14 and width 0.11 (length/width ratio 1.3); PST well exposed in middle and terminal body region.

Ultimate leg-bearing segment: MTL slightly trapezoidal, length 0.07 and maximum width 0.10 (length/width ratio 0.7); UPS apparently divided in middle part. Ultimate legs: thin and elongated, length 0.66, 2.5 times as long as penultimate leg; each CXP with 8–9 COP, weakly grouped, smallest ones closest to MTL; tarsus 1 ca. 1.6 times as long as tibia. Postpedal segments: GF with 1+1 distal SE.

Known variation. Male: GM biarticulated; GM1 longer than wide, with 3 SE in one row; GM2 triangular, tapering to distal region, with 5 scattered SE.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A–D, Aphilodontinae clypeus and labrum. Aphilodon indespectus n. sp. (IBSP 3653): A, clypeus, ventral. Aphilodon meganae n. sp. (IBSP 4070): B, middle part of clypeus, ventral. Aphilodon silvestrii n. sp. (IBSP 3665): C, labrum, ventral. Philacroterium weberi (Silvestri, 1909) n. comb. (KZN 8142): D, labrum, ventral. Abbreviations: LP: lateral pieces of labrum; LS: lateral setae of clypeus; PS: post-antennal setae of clypeus; SCS: sub-clypeal setae. Scale bars: 0.1 (A, C–D), 0.02 (B) mm.

FIGURE 23. A–C, Aphilodon meganae n. sp. Male paratype (IBSP 4070): A, right telopodite of second maxillae, ventro-lateral; B, forcipular segment, ventral; C, right forcipule, ventral. Abbreviations: PLM: posterior lateral margin of forcipule; T2: article 2 of telopodite of second maxillae; T3: article 3 of telopodite of second maxillae. Scale bars: 0.02 (A), 0.1 (B–C) mm.

FIGURE 24. A–E, Aphilodon meganae n. sp. Male paratype (IBSP 4070): A, habitus, ventral; B, anterior part of body, dorsal; C, same, ventral; D, terminal part of body, dorsal; E, same, ventral. Scale bars: 2.2 (A), 0.4 (B–C), 0.2 (D–E) mm.

FIGURE 45. A–D, posterior part of body, male, ventral: A, Dicellophilus carniolensis (Koch, 1847) (PD); B, Aphilodon micronyx Brölemann, 1902 (IBSP); C, Aphilodon meganae n. sp. (IBSP); D, Mairata butantan n. sp. (IBSP). Abbreviations: COP: coxal pores; MTL: metasternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A–D).