Mecophilus neotropicus Silvestri, 1909

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 : 39

Mecophilus neotropicus Silvestri, 1909

( Figs 3B , 29 , 31 , 40E , 41H )

Mecophilus neotropicus Silvestri 1909a: 269 (in key; original description); Silvestri 1909b: 60 (description), plate XIV, figs 1–4; Chamberlin 1914: 209; Attems 1928: 193; Attems 1929: 317 (description), fig. 285; Bücherl 1940: 313; Bücherl 1942b: 213; Bücherl 1942a: 365; Dobroruka 1978: 99; Foddai et al. 2000: 106; Bonato et al. 2011: 408; Bonato et al. 2015: 219.

Type specimens. Holotype: ♂, from “cascata dell’Iguazù (Paranà, Brasile)” ( Silvestri, 1909a), without collector name and collection date, deposited in MCSG “ Vase type XXVI”, without specific code.

Type locality. Brazil: Paraná: Foz do Iguaçu .

Notes on nomenclature. The holotype, which was originally identified as a female by Silvestri (1909a, 1909b), was actually found to be a male by direct examination of the specimen by one of us (VCC).

Material examined. BRAZIL. Paraná: Foz do Iguaçu , 1♂ [holotype] (MCSG “Vase type XXVI”) .

Diagnosis. A species of Mecophilus with: known body length in adults more than 8 mm; cephalic plate trapezoidal, with posterior part wider than anterior part ( Figs 29B , 31B ); forcipular tergite elongated, trapezoidal ( Figs 29B , 31B ); denticle of tarsungulum relatively short and positioned close to mid-length of tarsungulum ( Figs 29C , 31D ); distal denticle of trochanteroprefemur and denticle of femur distinctly spaced ( Figs 29C , 31D ).

Recorded specimens: a single specimen, ♂.

Distribution. Brazil—Paraná: Foz do Iguaçu ( Silvestri 1909a, 1909b).

Description of holotype. Male (MCSG “Vase type”).

Entire body: length 8, maximum width 0.2. Cephalic plate: trapezoidal, with posterior margin 1.5 times as wide as anterior margin; length 0.33 and maximum width (near posterior margin) 0.24 (length/width ratio 1.37). Antenna: length 0.56, 1.7 times as long as cephalic plate; AA II–XIII length/width ratio 0.44–0.95; LAA ca. 3.5 times as long as AA XIII.

Clypeus: 2+2 LS, 1+1 PS, 5+5 SCS. Mandible: PL with about 20 denticles. First maxillae: TFM length 0.02 and width 0.01. Second maxillae: left TSM length 0.02 (ca. 1.1 times as long as TFM) and maximum width (basal margin) 0.01; T3 with 1 large apical SE.

Forcipular segment: FTE length 0.20 (0.83 times as long as cephalic plate) and width 0.18 (length/width ratio 1.1); FPT length 0.11 (0.55 times as long as cephalic plate) and width 0.10; FCX length 0.30 and width 0.21 (length/ width ratio 1.4); FRL length 0.18, surpassing anterior margin of cephalic plate, and maximum width (basal margin) 0.09; FRL with 2 denticles in TFF and 1 in TI; FD1 relatively large, pointed and with 1 apical SE; FD2 pointed, with 2 large apical SE; FD3 bilobate and relatively small, with 1 large apical plus 3 subapical SE; TA 0.61 times as long as TFF; DTA relatively small and positioned in median region of TA.

Walking legs: 35 pairs; left FL length 0.17, 0.87 times as long as the second leg; left leg 17 length 0.20. Tergum from the first to penultimate leg-bearing segment: TE 17 length 0.13 and width 0.22 (length/width ratio 0.59), with one anterior row of 7 SE and one posterior row of 7 slightly smaller SE; PT 0.42 times as long as TE and with two parallel rows of 5 SE. Sternum from the first to penultimate leg-bearing segment: STF rectangular, length 0.14 long and width 0.09 (length/width ratio 1.52); ST 17 length 0.16 and width 0.11 (length/width ratio 1.45).

Ultimate leg-bearing segment: MTL trapezoidal, length 0.07 and maximum width 0.11 (length/width ratio 0.66); UPS exposed and not divided, length 0.01 and width 0.11. Ultimate legs: with a single tarsal article and without terminal claw; slightly thickened when compared to penultimate leg, length 0.46, ca. 1.7 times as long as penultimate leg; each CXP with 4 little COP which are weakly grouped near MTL and 1 COP further away. Postpedal segments: GM biarticulated; GM1 with 3–4 SE in one row; GM2 with 4 scattered SE.

Figures

FIGURE 3. A–D, Aphilodontinae habitus, dorsal: A, Aphilodon silvestrii n. sp. (IBSP 3665); B, Mecophilus neotropicus Silvestri, 1909 (MNHG); C, Mairata itatiaiensis n. sp. (IBSP 6178); D, Philacroterium brevipes (Verhoeff, 1938) n. comb. (KZN 5033). Scale bars: 1 mm (A–D).

FIGURE 29. A–C, Mecophilus diagnostic characters. Mecophilus neotropicus Silvestri, 1909. Male holotype (MSHG “Vase type”): A, first and second maxillae, ventral; B, anterior part of body, dorsal; C, forcipular segment, ventral. Abbreviations: FCX: forcipular coxosternite; FPT: forcipular pretergite; FTE: forcipular tergite; STF: sternite of first leg-bearing segment; T3: article 3 of telopodite of second maxillae. Scale bars: 0.01 (A), 0.2 (B–C) mm.

FIGURE 31. A–E, Mecophilus neotropicus Silvestri, 1909. Male holotype (MSNG “Vase type”): A, habitus, ventral; B, anterior part of body, dorsal; C, same, ventral; D, forcipules, ventral; E, terminal part of body, ventral. Abbreviations: BT: basal part of tarsungulum; DTA: denticle of tarsungulum; FPT: forcipular pretergite; FTE: forcipular tergite; PE: penis. Scale bars: 1 (A), 0.1 (B–E) mm.

FIGURE 40. A–F, anterior part of body, dorsal: A, Dicellophilus carniolensis (Koch, 1847) (PD); B, Aphilodon pereirai n. sp. (IBSP); C, Philacroterium cribellatum Attems, 1926 (SAM); D, Mairata itatiaiensis n. sp. (IBSP); E, Mecophilus neotropicus (MSNG); F, Mecophilus tupiniquim n. sp. (IBSP). Abbreviations: FPT: forcipular pretergite; FTE: forcipular tergite. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A–F).

FIGURE 41. A–L, forcipular segment, ventral: A, Dicellophilus carniolensis (Koch, 1847) (PD); B, Hyphydrophilus adisi Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1994 (PD); C, Macronicophilus abbreviatus Pereira, Foddai & Minelli, 2000 (INPA); D, Strigamia crassipes (Koch, 1835) (PD); E, Henia vesuviana (Newport, 1844) (PD); F, Geoperingueyia dentata Verhoeff, 1938 (MNRJ); G, Mairata itatiaiensis n. sp. (IBSP); H, Mecophilus neotropicus Silvestri, 1909 (MSNG); I, Aphilodon micronyx Brölemann, 1902 (IBSP); J, Aphilodon silvestrii n. sp. (IBSP); K, Philacroterium cribellatum Attems, 1926 (SAM); L, Philacroterium brevipes (Verhoeff, 1938) n. comb. (KZN). Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A–L).