Plusiocampa (Plusiocampa) rhea Sendra, 2020

Sendra, Alberto, Antić, Dragan, Barranco, Pablo, Borko, Špela, Christian, Erhard, Delić, Teo, Fadrique, Floren, Faille, Arnaud, Galli, Loris, Gasparo, Fulvio, Georgiev, Dilian, Giachino, Pier Mauro, Kovac, L'ubomír, Lukić, Marko, Marcia, Paolo, Miculinić, Kazimir, Nicolosi, Giuseppe, Palero, Ferran, Paragamian, Kaloust, Pérez, Toni, Polak, Slavko, Prieto, Carlos E., Turbanov, Ilya, Vailati, Dante & Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S., 2020, Flourishing in subterranean ecosystems: Euro-Mediterranean Plusiocampinae and tachycampoids (Diplura, Campodeidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 591, pp. 1-138 : 76-78

Plusiocampa (Plusiocampa) rhea Sendra sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:79F00B32-CCCA-4195-BB1F-52D3B2225C20

Fig. 124 ; Table 9

Etymology

This species is named in honour of Rhea, mother of the Greek god Zeus and daughter of Gaea, the Earth goddess. She gave birth and cared for her son Zeus in the Ideon Andron Cave located in Mount Psiloritis, the highest mountain in Crete, where this new species was found.

Material examined

Holotype

GREECE • 1 ♂; Crete, Anogeia, Ideon Antron Cave ( Zeus Cave ) at twilight zone area, near entrance; 1174 m a.s.l.; 22 Mar. 2006; Alberto Sendra leg.; MZB 2019-1033 .

Paratypes

GREECE – Crete • 1 ♂; Pombia; 211 m a.s.l.; Alberto Sendra leg.; MSS habitat; Coll. AS • 1 ♂; Sissarha; 601 m a.s.l.; MSS habitat; Alberto Sendra leg.; Coll. AS .

Description

BODY. Body length 3.8–4.9 mm. Epicuticle smooth under optical microscope; body with thin, middlesized clothing, covered or not by a few thin barbs.

HEAD. Three intact antennae in holotype and paratypes, with 30, 32 and 33 antennomeres, slightly shorter than body length ( Table 9 ). Small coniform sensillum of third antennomere located in ventral position between c and d macrosetae. Central antennomeres 1.5× as long as wide, apical antennomere 1.6× as long as wide. Cupuliform organ occupying of total length of apical antennomere, with 8–9 complex olfactory chemoreceptors. Gouge sensilla 30 ⅕ – 32 µm long in a single distal whorl of 12–16 sensilla on each medial and distal antennomere. Frontal process plain, with non-tubercular setae and macrosetae with barbs along half to two-thirds; macrosetae along line of insertion of antennomere and x setae with similar lengths (a/i/p/x with relative lengths of 36/42/35/ 52 in holotype). Suboval labial palps with latero-external sensillum larger than sensillum of third antennomere, with two guard setae, up to 12 setae on anterior border and up to 180 neuroglandular setae.

THORAX. Distribution of thoracic macrosetae ( Fig. 124 ): pronotum with 1+1 ma, 2+2 la 3,4 and 2+2 sla 1,2, 2+2 lp 1,3 (with additional 1+1 extra sma near the sagittal plane); mesonotum with 1+1 ma, 3+3 la 1,2,3, 3+3 lp 1,2,3, 1+1 mp; metanotum with 1+1 ma, 3+3 lp 1,2,3, 1+1 mp. All notal macrosetae long, robust, covered by thin barbs along distal third or half; submacrosetae sla 1,2 and sma thinner and shorter than notal macrosetae, but with same large base; marginal setae longer than clothing setae, covered by thin barbs along distal three-fourths. Legs elongated, pretarsus of metathoracic legs slightly overpassing end of abdomen ( Table 9 ). Femur I without dorsal macrosetae but with one long, barbed ventral macroseta; femora II–III with one long, barbed dorsal and one long, barbed ventral macroseta. Tibia I with one short, barbed ventral macroseta; tibiae II–III with two short, barbed ventral macrosetae. Calcars with 2–3 rows of long barbs from base to tip, smooth on one narrow side along calcar. Dorsal and lateral subapical tarsal setae smooth. Slightly unequal claws (posterior claw 1.15–1.2× as long as anterior one); posterior claw without backward overhang; lateral crests well developed. Pretarsal processes long, setiform, reaching extremities of claws.

ABDOMEN. Distribution of abdominal macrosetae on tergites: 1+1 post 1 on I–III (0+1 la on III); 1+1 la, 2+2 post 1,2 on IV; 1+1 la, 5+5 post 1–5 on V–VII; 7+7 post on VIII; 9+9 post on abdominal segment IX. All post urotergal macrosetae thick, long and covered by thin barbs along distal four-fifths; la urotergal macrosetae shorter than post macrosetae, covered by barbs along distal half. Urosternite I with 9+9, urosternites II–VII with 5+5; urosternite VIII with 2+2 macrosetae; all urosternal macrosetae robust and large, covered by long barbs along distal three-fourths to four-fifths. Apical, subapical and ventromedial setae with abundant long barbs.

CERCI. One incomplete cercus on 4 mm long paratype with six articles in addition to basal article, 3.8 mm long; their articles show whorls of long macrosetae covered by thin barbs along distal twothirds, combined with whorls of smooth, thin setae, shorter than macrosetae, in addition to one apical whorl of short setae with a few distal barbs.

GENITAL ORGANS. Male urosternite I with up to 160 glandular g 1 setae arranged in up to five rows with slightly enlarged subcylindrical appendages, each bearing up to 19 glandular a 1 setae.

Phyletic affinities, habitat and distribution

Plusiocampa (P.) rhea sp. nov. has 3+3 lateral posterior macrosetae on the mesonotum and metanotum, a feature only found in P. (P.) pouadensis ( Condé 1948c; Sendra & Escolà 2004). Nevertheless, P. (P.) rhea sp. nov. has medial posterior mesonotal and metanotal macrosetae, which are absent in P. (P.) pouadensis . Furthermore, P. (P.) pouadensis is a troglomorphic species from the Eastern Pyrenees, whereas P. (P.) rhea sp. nov. has been found in hypogean habitats, in soil, MSS and the twilight zones of caves at three locations on Crete.

Figures

Fig. 124. Plusiocampa (Plusiocampa) rhea Sendra sp. nov., holotype, ♂, 4.9 mm long, from Ideon Antron Cave entrance, Anogeia, Crete (MZB 2019-1033). Pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum, left side (s = setiform sensillum). Scale bar: 0.3 mm.