Armadilloniscus ninae Schultz, 1984

Figs 1, 2F, 13–14

Armadilloniscus ninae Schultz, 1984: 4, figs 1–2.

Material examined

COLOMBIA – Bolívar, Cartagena de Indias, Islas del Rosario, Isla Grande • 1 ♂ (parts in micropreparations); Paraíso Secreto; 10°10′15.9″ N, 75°44′38.8″ W; 24 Nov. 2017; C.M. López- Orozco leg.; CUDC-CRU 212 • 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; CUDC-CRU 214 • 21 ♂♂, 61 ♀♀; same locality as for preceding; 4 Apr. 2018; C.M. López-Orozco, R. Borja-Arrieta and K. Meza leg.; CUDC-CRU 213 • 3 ♀♀; same locality as for preceding; 6 Sep. 2017; C.M. López- Orozco leg.; CUDC-CRU 215 • 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀ (one with parts in micropreparations); Caño Ratón; 10°10′33.4″ N, 75°44′52.4″ W; 24 Nov. 2017; C.M. López-Orozco leg.; CUDC-CRU 216 • 5 ♀♀; 10°10′44.91″ N, 75°44′53.01″ W; same collection data as for preceding; CUDC-CRU 217 .

CUBA – Cayo Piedras del Norte, Varadero • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; 8 Aug. 1985; A. Poggesi leg.; MZUF 1824 .

Redescription

BODY. Color pale brown; cephalon, antennae, epimera of pereonites 1–7, epimera of pleonites 1–5 and uropod protopods more pigmented; pereon and pleon with median and paramedian region more depigmented (Fig. 2F). Body elongated and elliptical-shaped (Fig. 13A). Dorsal surface bearing elongated scale-setae (Fig. 13B). Cephalon and pereon covered with small tubercles (Fig. 13A, C–D): cephalon bearing six tubercles in two rows, anterior row with two and posterior row with four; pereonites 1–7 with one row of 8 tubercles.

CEPHALON. Lateral lobes well developed and directed outwards, median lobe triangular, slightly surpassing distal margin of lateral lobes, frontal and suprantennal lines absent; eyes consisting of 5 ommatidia (Fig. 13C–D).

PLEON. Outline continuous with that of pereonite 7, epimera of pleonites 3–5 rectangular (Fig. 13A, E). Telson (Fig. 13E) triangular, wider than long, lateral margins almost straight, broadly rounded apex.

ANTENNULA. Composed of two articles, second article bearing many lateral setae, distal margin bearing one flagellar seta and two aesthetascs (Fig. 13F).

ANTENNA. When extended posteriorly slightly surpassing pereonite 1, flagellum of four articles (Fig. 13G).

BUCCAL PIECES. As in Armadilloniscus luisi sp. nov.

UROPOD. Protopod enlarged with distal margin slightly rounded, exopod not surpassing protopod, endopod longer than exopod (Fig. 13E).

PEREOPODS. Pereopods 1–7 stout, merus to propodus bearing sparse setae on sternal margin, carpus 1 with strong distal seta bearing long sensilla, dactylus with elongated and digitform ungual seta, dactylar seta elongated, apically cleft and plumose.

Male

PEREOPODS 1 AND 7. Without any sexual modifications (Fig. 14A–B). GENITAL PAPILLA. Ventral shield stout triangular, papilla rounded at apex, bearing small setae (Fig. 14C).

PLEOPODS. Pleopod 1 (Fig. 14D) exopod ovoid, wider than long; endopod stout, three times as long as exopod, apical portion slightly bent inwards. Pleopod 2 (Fig. 14E) exopod ovoid, wider than long; endopod with flagelliform distal article. Exopods of pleopods 3–5 as in Fig. 14F–H.

Remarks

Schultz (1984) described A. ninae from San Pedro beach, Ambergris Cay, Belize. Comparing Shultz’s description with the specimens examined here, it was possible to observe that almost all characters mentioned, including the pale dorsal pigmentation, are quite similar. However, Schultz (1984) mentioned that A. ninae has eyes composed of 14 ommatidia and antennula with three articles, and herein the specimens showed the eyes composed of 5 ommatidia and antennula of two articles. Most probably, the author misinterpreted the composition of the eyes of this species, since the illustrations of the cephalon clearly show a smaller number. The same statement can be applied to the antennula. In general, within Oniscidea, the composition of the antennula does not vary within the genera, with just few exceptions (see Schmidt 2002, 2003). Moreover, analyzing other representatives of Armadilloniscus, it is possible to observe that the antennula is always composed of two articles (see Taiti & Ferrara 1989; Kwon & Wang 1996). Therefore, we identify our specimens as A. ninae .

Distribution

This species was previously recorded only from San Pedro beach, Ambergris Cay, Belize (Schultz 1984). First record for Colombia and Cuba.