Epiperipatus lucerna, Costa & Chagas-Junior & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2018

Costa, Cristiano Sampaio, Chagas-Junior, Amazonas & Pinto-da-Rocha, Ricardo, 2018, Redescription of Epiperipatus edwardsii, and descriptions of five new species of Epiperipatus from Brazil (Onychophora: Peripatidae), Zoologia (e 23366) 35, pp. 1-15 : 5-7

Epiperipatus lucerna sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ 0CECB928-54B3-4125-BEB4-D9D091E89F1A

Figs 9, 18–20, 37

Diagnosis. Apical piece cylindrical, asymmetric, have of two scale ranks on back side and three on front side; 29 to 30 pairs of legs.

Compound description. Measurements. Male: length 13–29; width 1.0–3.0; height 1.0–1.5. Female: length 23–44; width 1.0–3.0; height 2.0–4.0. Color (living specimens). In vivo background color of body on dorsal portion, arrangement of pale primary papillae, and ventral region as described for E. titanicus . Description of body. Dorsal papillae aligned on top of folds, with two primary papillae close together or separated by one to five accessory papillae. Dorsal papillae with conical basal piece, composed of overlapping lanceolate scales. Primary papillae regular in size, at their bases four to eight scale ranks ( Fig. 19). Apical piece cylindrical, asymmetrical, composed of two scale ranks on back side and three on front side ( Fig. 9). This rank overlapped by scale rank of the base papilla and hiding constriction between the two parts of primary papillae ( Figs 9, 19). Needle-shaped sensory bristle curved or straight and located on back side of apical piece ( Fig. 9). Head. Number of complete antennal rings in holotype 29, alternating between narrow and large rings, from the eighth to the twentieth rings. Paratype with 46 rings and ring widths alternating from the eighth to the eighteenth ring. Antennal tips composed of seven large rings and terminal bud. Number of tooth in jaw blades as in Epiperipatus titanicus sp. nov. as in dental formula: (1/1; 1/1/8). Legs. Males: 27–29 pairs of legs. Females: 29–31 pairs of legs. Nephridial tubercle on fourth and fifth pairs of legs, between third and fourth spinous pads ( Fig. 20). No evidence of fifth spinous pad on fourth and fifth pairs of legs.

Sexual dimorphism. One or two pregenital legs with crural papillae (male) with one crural papilla each (structure not identifiable in some adult males examined). Anal glands inconspicuous (male); represented by two pores on anterior board of anal aperture.

Type material. Holotype. MNRJ 0101 , ♂, Brazil, Alagoas state, Murici, Estação Ecológica de Murici ( Mata da Bananeira area ), 11–18.xii.2009, Costa, C.S., Giupponi, A. and Chagas – Jr leg. Paratypes. MNRJ 0102 , ♀, idem ; MNRJ 0103 , 13♀, 6 ♂ and 3 unsexed, Brazil, Alagoas state, Murici, Estação Ecológica de Murici ( Mata da Bananeira area ), 11–18.xii.2009, Costa, C.S., Giupponi, A. and Chagas – Jr leg ; MZUSP 0011 , 1♀, idem, 26–29.vii.2012, Costa, C.S., Alcântara, D.M.C., Dias, P.S. and Nihei,S.S. leg.

Distribution ( Fig. 37). Only known from the type locality ( Brazil, Alagoas State, Murici, Estação Ecológica de Murici).

Etymology. The specific name lucerna (L., “lamp”, feminine noun in apposition) refers to the candle shape of the apical piece of the primary papillae of this species.