Novamundoniscus canopus Campos-Filho, Gallo & Gallão, n. sp.

(Figs 13-15)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7042A02A-7E67-4AFC-ABEA-E7F8085C42CB

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Brazil • ♂ (parts in micropreparations); Lapa do São Bernardo cave, Guarani de Goiás, state of Goiás; 13°48’44.9”S, 46°20’59.4”W; 631 m a.s.l.; 19.IV.2021; J. E. Gallão, J. S. Gallo, D. F. Torres & V. F. Sperandei leg.; LES 27996.

Paratype. Brazil • 1 ♀ (in micropreparations); same data as holotype; LES 27997 .

ETYMOLOGY. — The new species is named after the star Canopus, Carina constellation, southern celestial hemisphere. In navigation systems, this star was used to indicate the position of the South Pole. In the Brazilian national flag, it represents the state of Goiás.

DESCRIPTION

Maximum body length: ♂ 6 mm, ♀ 4.5 mm. Color brown with typical muscle spot insertions; cephalon, antennae, pereonites 1-7 epimera, pleon, telson, and uropods strongly pigmented. Body outline as in Figure 13A. Pereonite 1 slightly directed frontwards, not surpassing cephalon, pereonites 3-7 gradually more arched and directed backwards. Dorsal surface densely covered with fan-shaped scale-setae (Fig.13B). One line of piliform noduli laterales per side, similar in length as scale-setae (Fig. 13B); d/c and b/c coordinates as in Figure 13C and D, respectively. Cephalon (Fig. 13E, F) with triangular lateral lobes, slightly directed outwards, suprantennal line bent down in middle; eyes composed of 13-14 ommatidia. Pleon slightly narrower than pereon, epimera developed, acute and directed backwards (Fig. 13A, G). Telson (Fig. 13G) with lateral sides concave, apex acute. Antennula (Fig. 13H) proximal and distal articles similar in length, distal article bearing about 14 aesthetascs in four rows plus apical pair. Antenna (Fig. 13I) reaching third pereonite when extended backward; flagellum with first and second articles subequal in length, second and third articles bearing lateral aesthetascs, apical organ bearing two long free sensilla. Mandibles (Fig. 13J) with molar penicil of about ten branches. Maxillula (Fig. 13K) inner endite with two hairy penicils, distal margin rounded; outer endite with 4+4 teeth, outer set apically cleft, outer margin strongly concave equipped with long setae. Maxilla (Fig. 13L) inner lobe rounded covered with thick setae; outer lobe twice as wide as inner lobe covered with thin setae. Maxilliped (Fig. 13M) palp with proximal article bearing two long setae; endite subrectangular, medial seta surpassing distal margin, distal margin rounded. Dactylus of two claws subequal in length, dactylar and ungual setae simple, not surpassing outer claw. Uropod (Fig. 14A) protopod subquadrangular, protopod and exopod grooved on outer margin, exopod twice as long as endopod, endopod insertion slightly proximal.

Male

Pereopods 1-3 merus and carpus bearing dense brush of setae on sternal margin (Fig. 14B). Pereopod 7 without apparent sexual dimorphism (Fig. 14C). Genital papilla (Fig. 14D) with triangular ventral shield, papilla longer than ventral shield bearing two subapical orifices. Pleopod 1 (Fig. 14E) exopod subtriangular, about twice as long as wide, inner margin convex, outer margin slightly concave; endopod more than twice as long as exopod, distal portion tapering, directed outwards. Pleopod 2 (Fig. 14F) exopod triangular, outer margin concave bearing five setae; endopod distinctly longer than exopod. Pleopod 3 and 4 exopods (Fig. 14G, H) triangular, outer margin slightly concave bearing many setae. Pleopod 5 exopod (Fig. 14I) triangular, outer margin sinuous bearing many setae.

REMARKS

Novamundoniscus canopus Campos-Filho, Gallo & Gallão, n. sp. is similar to N. macrophthalmus and N. kayabi Campos-Filho, Sfenthourakis & Araujo, n. sp. in having the eyes composed of 13-14 ommatidia; it differs in the cephalon with lateral lobes well-developed (vs slightly developed in N. macrophthalmus), telson with distal margin acute (vs right-angled in N. macrophthalmus, rounded in N. canopus Campos-Filho, Gallo & Gallão, n. sp.), maxillula outer endite with four teeth cleft (vs entire in N. canopus Campos-Filho, Gallo & Gallão, n. sp.), uropod exopod longer (vs similar in length in N. canopus Campos-Filho, Gallo & Gallão, n. sp.), male pereopods 1-3 merus and carpus bearing brush of setae on sternal margin (vs sparse setae on both species), male pleopod 1 exopod with outer margin slightly concave (vs straight in N. macrophthalmus and N. canopus Campos-Filho, Gallo & Gallão, n. sp.), and male pleopod 1 endopod with distal part directed outwards (vs downwards in N. canopus Campos-Filho, Gallo & Gallão, n. sp.) (see Lemos de Castro 1960).

Also this species is considered to be a troglophile due to the absence of troglomorphic characteristics, and probably inhabits caves for exploring their resources and finding appropriate micro-habitat conditions during certain periods of the year (Fernandes et al. 2016, 2019).