Pseudonannolene ambuatinga Iniesta & Ferreira, 2013

Figs 46–47, 165A, 167B, 177C, 180; Supp. file 4: Figs 215A, 220D, 222B

Pseudonannolene ambuatinga Iniesta & Ferreira, 2013b: 358, figs 1–6.

Pseudonannolene saguassu Iniesta & Ferreira, 2013b: 363, figs 7–10. Syn. nov.

Pseudonannolene canastra Gallo & Bichuette, 2020: 37, figs 3–6. Syn. nov.

Pseudonannolene ambuatinga – Iniesta & Ferreira 2014: 363. — Karam-Gemael et al. 2018: figs 2–3. — Gallo & Bichuette 2019: 42; 2020: 34.

Pseudonannolene saguassu – Gallo & Bichuette 2019: 48.

Justification of synonymy

Having studied the original descriptions, closely examined the type species of P. ambuatinga and P. saguassu and topotypes from caves in the Arcos-Pains-Doresópolis speleological unit, the species P. saguassu and P. canastra are here treated as junior synonyms of P. ambuatinga, according to the similarities in gonopod structure (telopodite and internal branch) and first leg-pair of males. Regarding the species P. canastra, the males described correspond to immatures due to the prefemoral process of first leg-pair being still incipient, short and with few and scattered setae (Gallo & Bichuette 2020: 37, fig. 3d–e), and the gonopod not fully developed, mainly the internal branch and gonocoxa (Gallo & Bichuette 2020: 37, fig. 6a–d) (see previous sections for more details on gonopod morphology and ontogeny in Pseudonannolene).

Diagnosis

Resembling P. lundi and P. spelaea by having head, trunk, and legs depigmented (Fig. 46). Males of P. ambuatinga differ from P. lundi by having a subtriangular solenomere (Fig. 47D) instead of a square-shaped square-shaped solenomere, and from P. spelaea by having seminal apophysis evident and by the number of ommatidia (ca 25) (Fig. 46A).

Etymology

A combination of words of the Brazilian Indian language Tupi-Guarani, ‘ ambus ’ = ‘millipede’, and ‘ tinga ’ = ‘white’, referring to the body depigmentation of the species (Iniesta & Ferreira 2013b).

Material examined

Holotypes

BRAZIL • ♂, holotype of P. ambuatinga; Minas Gerais, Pains, cave Loca d’Água de Baixo; [-20.369647, -45.692915]; 28 Jan. 2009; R.L. Ferreira et al. leg.; ISLA 2267.

BRAZIL • ♂, holotype of P. saguassu; Minas Gerais, Pains, cave Éden; [-20.384577, -45.666798]; 15 Mar. 2012; R. Zampaulo leg.; ISLA.

Paratypes (total: 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀)

BRAZIL • 1 ♂, paratype of P. ambuatinga; same collection data as for holotype; ISLA 2272 • 1 ♀, paratype of P. ambuatinga; same collection data as for holotype; ISLA 2268 • 1 ♀, paratype of P. ambuatinga; same collection data as for holotype; ISLA 2269 • 1 ♀, paratype of P. ambuatinga; same collection data as for holotype; ISLA 2270 • 1 ♀, paratype of P. ambuatinga; same collection data as for holotype; ISLA 2271 • 1 ♂, paratype of P. saguassu; Minas Gerais, Pains, cave Éden; [-20.384577, -45.666798]; 15 Mar. 2012; R.L. Ferreira, P. Ratton and M. Souza-Silva leg.; ISLA 2273 • 1 ♂, paratype of P. saguassu; same collection data as for preceding; ISLA 2275 • 1 ♀, paratype of P. saguassu; same collection data as for preceding; ISLA 2274 .

Other material (total: 1 ♂, 1 ♀) BRAZIL – Minas Gerais • 1 ♂; Arcos,, cave Alinhamento; [-20.289079, -45.540084]; 766 m a.s.l. ; 1 Jun. 2002; R.L. Ferreira et al. leg.; IBSP3442 • 1 ♀; Iguatama, cave Arcaica; [-20.286839, -45.793289]; 700 m a.s.l.; 25 Jan. 2008; E.O. Machado and J.P.P. Barbosa leg.; IBSP 3315 .

Descriptive notes

MEASUREMENTS. 58–60 body rings (1–2 apodous + telson). Males: body length 35–42.5 mm; maximum midbody diameter 1.8–1.9 mm. Females: body length 36–41 mm; maximum midbody diameter 2–3.1 mm.

COLOR. Living specimens depigmented. Color when stored in 70% ethanol: uniform pale brownish whitish, slightly darker posteriorly on prozonites; head, collum, antennae, and legs light brown.

HEAD. Antennae short (Fig. 46A), just reaching back to end of ring 5 when extended dorsally; relative antennomere lengths 1<2<3>4>5≈6>7. Mandibular cardo with ventral margin swollen. Ommatidial cluster well-developed, elliptical; ca 23 ommatidia in 4 rows.

BODY RINGS. Collum with lateral lobes broadly rounded, with ca 10 striae (Fig. 46A). Very faintly constricted between prozonite and metazonite; prozonites smooth; metazonites laterally with transverse striae below ozopore. Anterior sterna in midbody rings subrectangular, without transverse striae (Fig. 167B).

FIRST LEG-PAIR OF MALES. Coxae (cx) elongated (as long as the sum of remaining podomere lengths), subtriangular, with the base slightly arched, densely setose (Fig. 47A); prefemoral process (prf) as wide as half of prefemur, subcylindrical, densely setose along in its entire extension (Fig. 47B); remaining podomeres with setae along the mesal region.

SECOND LEG-PAIR OF MALES. Coxa (cx) large and subrectangular; penis (pn) located at proximal region, rounded, not extended basally (Fig. 47C); prefemur compressed dorsoventrally; remaining podomeres setose, with long setae mesally.

GONOPODS. Gonocoxa (gcx) elongated, but less than twice the length of the telopodite, with the base slightly arched; slightly flattened antero-posteriorly (Fig. 47D–F); with rows of papillae mesally. Seminal groove (sg) curved; arising medially on mesal cavity and terminating apically on the seminal apophysis (sa). Shoulder (sh) inconspicuous. Telopodite (tp) less than half as wide as gcx (Fig. 47D); solenomere (sl) with apicomesal process (amp) subtriangular; ectal process absent; sa located at medial portion, visible apically. Internal branch (ib) shovel-shaped and rounded apically, with horizontal plate; setae restricted to the apical region of ib exceeding seminal region of sl (Fig. 47D–F).

VULVAE. As typical for the genus. Bursa subtriangular, glabrous (Fig. 177C); internal valve subtriangular; operculum narrow, not curved medially; external valve wide, subtriangular.

Distribution

A troglomorphic species known only from caves in the Karst region of Pains and surrounding municipalities (Arcos-Pains-Doresópolis speleological unit), state of Minas Gerais, Brazil (Fig. 180). This karst, which comprises the highest density of caves known for South America, harbors many other undescribed and described cave-dwelling species (Álvares & Ferreira 2002; Parizotto et al. 2017; Gallão & Bichuette 2018; Pellegrini et al. 2020).

Comments

Although the examination of the type material of the junior synonym P. canastra deposited at the Laboratório de Estudos Subterrâneos (LES/UFSCar) was not possible during this study, the original description and figures provided by Gallo & Bichuette (2020) are highly detailed.