Troglopactes botosaneanui, (VANDEL, 1973)

Schmidt, Christian, 2007, Revision of the Neotropical Scleropactidae (Crustacea: Oniscidea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151, pp. 1-339 : 26

TROGLOPACTES BOTOSANEANUI ( VANDEL, 1973)

Scleropactes botosaneanui Vandel, 1973 − Leistikow & Wägele (1999 *); Schmalfuss (2003 *).

Material examined

Type specimens: Slides with appendages of a ♂ (lectotype, designated here) ( CV 5870-1 to 12 , Cuba, Prov. de Matanzas, Cueva de Bellamar, 1.4 km south of ‘ Bahia de Matanzas’ , leg. Expedition Biospéologique Cubano-Roumaine, 3 July 1969); one ♂, one ♀ (both paralectotypes, designated here) (Cuba-15, March– June 1969) .

Description ( Figs 52–54 )

Female 5.4 × 1.8 mm. Male 5 mm. Without any trace of pigment (after Vandel, 1973), eyes absent. Frontal shield of cephalothorax with two shallow longitudinal furrows that indicate exoantennal conglobation ability. No transverse furrow behind the frontal shield. Coxal plates 2–5 somewhat constricted due to conglobation ability, otherwise simple: no schisma or internal notches or lobes present. First coxal plate with shallow sulcus along the lateral margin (not to be confused with a sulcus arcuatus). Surface with minute scale setae and one pair of noduli laterales, which lie near, but not on, the apical margin. The noduli laterales are large in comparison with the scale setae, but small when compared with those of the ‘Philosciidae’. Pleotelson apically evenly rounded, uropods with small exopodite inserted on the mediodistal corner and exceeded by the mediolateral corner of the sympodite. Endopodites laterally compressed, filling the space between the sympodites/exopodites.

First antenna three-jointed. Second antenna with three-jointed flagellum bearing a long apical cone, which, however, is shorter than the very long apical article. Second article with two and apical article with three aesthetascs in transverse rows. (the peduncular articles of the antenna on the slide were much too compressed and distorted to be drawn properly). First maxilla mesal endite with rounded laterodistal corner and two stout penicils, which, in the specimen examined, show traces of abrasion and thus appear stouter than they might have originally been. Lateral endite on the distal margin with lateral group of four simple teeth, one very small triangular lobe, and a small ‘slender stalk’. Mesal group of six more slender teeth, some of which are cleft. Lateral margin of lateral endite with fringe of hair-like structures. Maxilliped base partly covered with cuticular scales and few scale setae. Maxilliped palp three-jointed; basal article bearing only one large seta, second article on the inner margin with apical tuft of setae on a socket and a ‘group’ of two setae basal to this, and two unequal setae and a tuft of ‘hairs’ on the outer margin. Apical article with two single setae and a tuft of ‘hairs’ on the outer margin and a tuft of setae on the tip. Endite with one setae on the caudal face and two acute lobes (or setae?) on the apical margin. Male pleopod exopodite 1 rounded, without marginal setae; exopodites 2–5 with only one marginal seta each. Male pleopod 1 endopodite on lateral face with a subapical, acute lobe; row of small setae straight, apically more closely spaced. Exopodite 5 with groove along the mesal margin and acute posterior corner.

Habitat

Cave.

Remark

Vandel (1973) placed the species in the genus Scleropactes because it fits with a previously published ( Vandel, 1968) definition of the genus Scleropactes . The resemblances of T. botosaneanui with this definition are the conglobation ability, the lack of a schisma of coxal plate 1, the short pleotelson, the insertion of the uropod exopodite, and pleopod exopodites without lungs. According to the present phylogenetic analysis, all these characters are plesiomorphic within the Scleropactidae . The exoantennal conglobation, which is not included in the definition of the genus Scleropactes by Vandel (1968), seems to be derived from an endoantennal conglobation ability, and constitutes an apomorphy of T. botosaneanui . In consequence, the exoantennal conglobation of T. botosaneanui and the species of Scleropactes s.str. is convergent. Furthermore, T. botosaneanui lacks a transverse furrow on the cephalothorax, and is therefore excluded from clade 14 (see above).

Figures

Figure 52. Troglopactes botosaneanui (Vandel, 1973): ♂ syntype, habitus, cephalothorax, pleotelson, and pleotelson of other specimen (Cuba, Provincia de Matanzas, Cueva de Bellamar, leg. Expédition biospéologique cubano-roumaine, March–June 1969, MNHN).

Figure 53. Troglopactes botosaneanui (Vandel, 1973): ♂ syntype, second antenna flagellum, maxilliped, first maxilla (Cuba, Provincia de Matanzas, Cueva de Bellamar, leg. Expédition bioospéologique cubano-roumaine, March–June 1969, MNHN).

Figure 54. Troglopactes botosaneanui (Vandel, 1973): ♂ syntype, pleopods 1–5 (pleopod 2 and endopodite 1 caudal, others frontal) (Cuba, Provincia de Matanzas, Cueva de Bellamar, leg. Expédition bioospéologique cubano-roumaine, March–June 1969, MNHN).