Noteochordodes saltae Miralles & De Villalobos, 2000

Villalobos, Cristina De, Zanca, Fernanda & Salas, Liliana, 2008, Redescription of the genus Noteochordodes, reinterpretation of Noteochordodes dugesi (Camerano, 1898), a new combination of Neochordodes talensis (Camerano, 1897) and a description of a new species, Journal of Natural History 42 (3 - 4), pp. 189-204 : 192-194

Noteochordodes saltae Miralles & De Villalobos, 2000

( Figure 2 ) Noteochordodes saltae Miralles and De Villalobos 2000, p. 281 , Figures 4–6 .

Holotype. 1♀ ( MLP 3144 ).

Type locality. Argentina: Salta, Campo Quijano.

Material investigated. SEM mid-body and posterior end. Holotype and specimens from new locations in ARGENTINA: Salta: Colorado stream, Cafayate 1 „ ( MLP 5047 ) and Catamarca: Los Angeles stream 1 „ ( MLP 5712 ), Concepción Capayán, El Simbolar stream 2 „„ ( MLP 5713 ).

Description

Male (MLP 5047). The body colour is light brown. The posterior end is undivided ( Figure 2A ). Cloacal opening, oval (37.5 mm long) and placed ventrally, 193.5 mm from the apex. The cloacal opening is surrounded by circumcloacal bristles. Anterolateral of the cloacal opening are paired rows of scattered bristles. The cuticle of the posterior end shows a different pattern from the rest of the body (see below), as the areoles are rounded with a smooth surface and the interareolar furrow is quite narrow. Scattered bristles are also found in this region ( Figure 2A ).

The body cuticle shows areoles arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the body. There are oval (26.4 mm long) or rounded (14.5 mm) areoles ( Figures 2C, D ). The apical surface is depressed or flat. These areoles are isolated or form groups of two, three or six areoles. There are clusters of two areoles with a central tubercle between them; these areoles are not larger than the surrounding ones ( Figure 2C ). Some areoles show a lateral tubercle ( Figure 2C, 2D ). The interareolar furrow is wide and crossed by cuticular cords with minute spines.

The other male specimens investigated (MLP 5047, MLP 5712, MLP 5713), show the same features as the male (MLP 5047).

Female holotype. The posterior end is rounded, the details of the cloacal opening could not be observed because it was covered with a sperm mass ( Figure 2B ), and the cuticle pattern is similar to the body cuticle. The body cuticle shows the same features as in males.

Comments

In this reinvestigation, the presence of a central tubercle between two areoles and the close relation with a lateral tubercle observed in some isolated areoles is described for the first time for Noteochordodes saltae . These two features were not mentioned in the original description ( Miralles and De Villalobos 2000). Besides, the male of N. saltae is described for the first time in this work.

Dimensions. Holotype is 259 mm in length and 1.1 mm in diameter ( Miralles and De Villalobos 2000). The newly reported specimens range in length from 72–191 mm. Diameters vary from 0.6–0.8 mm.

Distribution. ARGENTINA. Salta: Campo Quijano (1♀, Miralles and De Villalobos 2000); Cafayate, Colorado stream (25 ° 05 9 S, 65 ° 58 9 W) (1 „ (MLP 5047), new record). Catamarca: Los Angeles stream (28 ° 27 9 S- 66 ° 04 9 W) (1 „, new record); Concepción Capayán, El Simbolar stream (30 ° 48 9 S- 63 ° 97 9 W) (2 „„, new record).

Figures

Figure 2. Noteochordodes saltae. A. Male (MLP 5047), posterior end showing the cloacal opening with circumcloacal spines and rows of scattered bristles. B. Female (MLP 3144), posterior end covered with a sperm mass. C-D Male (MLP 5047), mid body cuticle showing areoles with the apical surface flat or depressed (arrow), clusters of two areoles with a central tubercle between them and areoles with a lateral tubercle. Note the interareolar furrow crossed by cuticular cords with minute spines. Bars: A, B 100 mm, C 100 mm, D 20 mm.

Figure 4. Noteochordodes cymatium n sp. Holotype. A. Posterior end showing the cloacal opening and scattered bristles over the ventral side (arrows). B-D. Mid body cuticle. B. General view of the cuticle showing areoles with undulated borders and a smooth surface. Note clusters of two areoles with central tubercle (arrow) and isolated areoles with a tubercle resting on one of their lateral faces. C. Detail of one areole with a tubercle in a lateral face. D. Areoles with flat surface or with a central depression (arrow). E. General view of the cuticle showing the cuticular pattern and the interareolar furrow crossed by thick cuticular fibres. Bars: A 100 mm, B, C 20 mm, C 25 mm, D 10 mm.

Figure 5. Noteochordodes achosmosus n sp. Holotype. A. Ventral view on posterior end showing the cloacal opening and scattered bristles over the ventral side (arrows). B. Cuticle from the anterior region of the body. C, D. Cuticle from mid body showing disorderly arranged. Note a tubercle between areoles which originates in a circular depression (black arrow) and a tubercle placed laterally to isolate areole (white arrow). Bars: A, B 100mm, C, D 20 mm.

Figure 6. Pseudochordodes dugesi. Holotype. A- B. Mid body cuticle showing areoles with blunt tubercle between them (1), (megareolar pattern) and areoles with rugged surface (2). Bars: A 100&m, B 10&m. 172×226 mm (300×300 DPI)