Lithoseopsis brasiliensis, García Aldrete & Neto & Ferreira, 2018

García Aldrete, Alfonso N., Neto, Alberto Moreira Da Silva & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2018, Lithoseopsis Mockford (Psocodea: Troctomorpha: Amphientomidae): a new species and first record for South America, Zootaxa 4526 (1), pp. 91-95 : 92-94

Lithoseopsis brasiliensis n. sp. Female

( Figs 1–6 )

Diagnosis. Differing from the described species in the genus by having the distal third of the forewing unpigmented, by having the sclerite of the subgenital plate consisting of a short stem, and by the shape of the spermapore sclerite.

Color (in 80% ethanol). Body tawny brown. Compound eyes black, ocelli hyaline, peripherally dark brown. Distal halves of fourth palpomere of maxillary palps white. Forewings pale yellowish, with distal third white, scales lost. Hindwings hyaline.

Morphology. Ocelli almost in line ( Fig. 1 ). Epicranial and epistomal sulci well defined ( Fig. 1 ). Wings ( Figs 2, 3 ). Carinae of fore- femora with 16–21 spines. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 4 ) broad, setose as illustrated, gonapophyses ( Fig. 5 ), spermapore sclerite large, rounded, with inner mesal short extensions and an anterior, T-shaped projection ( Fig. 5 ). Paraprocts semicircular, setose, sensory fields with 7 trichobothria in an inverted U, and a row of 5 central setae without basal rosettes ( Fig. 6 ). Epiproct trapeziform, densely setose, as in other species of the genus ( Fig. 6 ). Preclunial plate large, semi-circular, with a dense field of long setae ( Fig. 6 ).

Measurements. FW: 2582, HW: 2049, F: 589, T: 1104, t1: 616, t2: 59, t3: 90, ct t1: 30, Mx4: 115, f1: 224, f2: 147, f3: 83, IO: 406, D: 359, d: 196, IO/d: 2.07, PO: 0.54.

Type locality. Holotype female. BRAZIL. Pará. Parauapebas. ISLA 11203, Projeto N 5S, Morro I, 2.IX.2010. Cav. GEM-1194 (Dry season). Coll. CARSTE. 2 female paratypes, same locality as the holotype, ISLA 11212, Projeto N 5S, Morro II, 23.IX.2010, Cav. GEM-1742 (Dry season). Coll. CARSTE.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the country of origin of this species.

Habitat. Specimens of L. brasiliensis were found in two ferruginous caves of different size (caves GEM-1194 and GEM-1742). The biggest cave (GEM-1194) has 134 meters horizontal projection, and is associated to the canga formation (topmost ferruginous breccia). It has a wide entrance (3 meters height) associated to a dense forested area. The entrance zone has seedlings, ferns, bryophytes and lichens (in both the floor and walls, that also have extensive areas covered by Actinomycetes). The cave presents aphotic areas, but the specimens were only found in the entrance zone.

The second cave where specimens were found (GEM-1742) is a small cavity with 17.5 meters of horizontal projection, also associated to the canga formation. Similarly to the first cave, the external environment is a dense rain forest. The cavity has a single and wide entrance (approximately 2.5 meters high and 7 meters wide) which, associated to the modest dimensions of the cavity, makes this habitat highly influenced by the external environment. Lichens, mosses and seedlings occur in most of the cavity, which lacks aphotic areas. It is important to highlight that 146 caves were sampled in both the rainy and dry seasons in the area (regionally known as Morro I and Morro II, both in the Carajás region) and specimens were only found in these two caves.

Considering the number of sampled caves and the fact that specimens were only found near the entrances, it is likely that caves do not represent the main habitat of L. brasiliensis .

It is worth mentioning that the type species of the genus, L. hellmani , from Texas, was also recorded in a cave, around the entrance ( Mockford, 1993). In fact, this seems to be the case for most species of Psocoptera associated to Brazilian caves. Unfortunately the external environments surrounding the caves where L. brasiliensis was found were not sampled, to determine other habitats that can be used by this species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Lithoseopsis brasiliensis n. sp. (Holotype female). 1. Front view of head. 2. Forewing. 3. Hindwing. 4. Subgenital plate. 5. Spermapore sclerite and gonapophyses. 6. Clunium, preclunial plate, right paraproct and epiproct. Scales in mm.