Neosanfilippia venezuelana, BRIAN, 1957

Schmidt, Christian, 2007, Revision of the Neotropical Scleropactidae (Crustacea: Oniscidea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151, pp. 1-339 : 20-21

NEOSANFILIPPIA VENEZUELANA BRIAN, 1957

Neosanfilippia venezuelana Brian, 1957 – Vandel (1968); Schultz (1981 *); Paoletti (1989); Manicastri (1991); Leistikow & Wägele (1999 *); Schmalfuss (2003 *).

Material examined

One ♂, one ♀ ( Venezuela, Sierra de San Luis , Hueque, leg.?, April 1971, MNHN) ; six ♂, three ♀ m, six ♀ (Falcón, Sierra de San Luis, near Cueva San Luis , 11°07′21″ N, 69°40′46″ W, leg. C. Schmidt, 20 March 1998, cCS 194b) ; three ♂, three ♀ m, two immatures ( Andes , between Valera and La Puerta, 9°09′30″ N, 70°41′31″ W, altitude 1500 m, leg. C. Schmidt, 23 March 1998, cCS 202a) ; 26 ♂, 30 ♀ with marsupium, 37 ♀, six juvenile ♂, six juvenile ♀, two mancas ( Venezuela, Edo. Lara, Humocaro Alto, Cueva de la Segunda Cascada , 9°36′20″ N, 70°00′ W, altitude 1235 m, zona no-guanifera, leg. H. Escalona & O. Villareal, 7 July 1998, UCV, SMNS, cCS 284) ; 16 ♂, one juvenile ♂, 16 ♀ m, five ♀, one juvenile ♀ ( Venezuela, Edo. Lara, Cueva de la Segunda Cascada, leg. O. Villareal & H. Escalona, 7 August 1998, UCV, cCS 285) ; four ♂, eight ♀ m, five ♀, three juvenile ( Venezuela, Edo. Trujillo, Cueva de los Justos, leg. K. Ginei, 23 December 1998, UCV) ; two ♂, one ♀ m ( Venezuela, Edo. Trujillo, Vega de Guaramacal, Sector Agua Fria, Cueva del Burro , leg. H. Escalona, 24 December 1998, UCV) ; two ♂ ( Venezuela, Edo. Yaracuy, Aroa, Tierra Fria , Cueva de los Añadidos , altitude 800 m, on guano of the Guacharo Steatornis caripensis , leg. H. Escalona, 22 December 1998; UCV) ; one ♀ m (five eggs), one ♀ ( Venezuela, Lara, Barbacoas, Hierbabuena, Cueva del Indio , altitude c. 2000 m, at the entrance of the cave, leg. H. Escalona, 21 April 2000, UCV) ; 33 ♂, 20 ♀ m, 33 ♀, eight immature /juvenile, one manca ( Venezuela, Lara, Humocaro Bajo, 9°40′N 69°58′W, Cueva Na Diega , leg. H. Escalona, 7 March 2000, UCV, cCS 359) ; ten ♂, three ♀ m, 17 ♀, immature or juvenile ( Venezuela, Edo. Falcón, Cueva Combote 1, 11°11′00″ N, 68°36′30″ W, altitude 202 m, Capadare, El Cayude, leg. H. Escalona, 4 August 1998, UCV) ; five ♂ /immature ♂, three ♀ /immature ( Venezuela, Edo. Falcón, Sector Yaravaco, Cueva El Viento , 11°09′17″ N, 68°36′27″ W, altitude 200 m, sobre detritus, leg. H. Escalona, 19 April 1999, UCV) .

Previous records

Venezuela – Estado Falcon, ‘Cueva de Rio Gueque’ ( Brian, 1957); P. N. Henri Pittier, Rancho Grande, selva nublada ( Paoletti, 1989).

Description ( Figs 25–30 )

Male maximum 8.4 × 3.5 mm. Eyeless and unpigmented isopod with endoantennal conglobation ability. Cephalothorax with frontal shield slightly exceeding vertex. Coxal plates all simple. Noduli laterales very small and forming part of the posterior row of tricorn setae on the posterior margin of each pereion tergite. Difference between noduli and tricorns is seen only in the sensory setae, the free portion of which is equal in length to the scaly portion in the noduli, whereas in the tricorns only the tip of the sensory seta is free. First antenna three-jointed, apical article bearing some irregularly arranged aesthetascs on the frontal face. Second antenna with two-jointed flagellum, with apical cone slightly longer than the distal article, provided with one small lateral seta. The distal article also has two aesthetascs (or groups of aethetascs). Mandibles with left two/right one penicil on the hairy lobe, one penicil between the hairy lobe and the pars molaris; the latter is represented by a tuft of hairy setae. First maxilla lateral endite on the distal margin with four stout teeth, triangular lobe and slender stalk on the lateral portion, and six slender setae, four of which are cleft, on the mesal portion. Mesal endite with two acute penicils and rounded laterodistal corner. Maxilliped endite without scales; one seta on the caudal face and two setae or lobes on the apical margin are present. Maxilliped palp basal article with two large setae, second article on the mesal margin with distal tuft of numerous equal setae on a socket, two single setae near the socket, and a proximal ‘tuft’ represented by only one stout seta located near the socket; on the lateral margin with two small setae. Distal article with apical tuft of setae and a single seta on the outer margin. Pereiopod 1 with antennal brush. Ventral brush of scales present on carpus of male pereiopods 1–4 and merus of male pereiopods 1–6. Male pereiopod 7 ischium with ventral or ventrofrontal row of large scales and a process on the ventrodistal corner. This process has a membraneous aspect and lacks any scales or setae. Dactylus with ungual seta with small seta beside it, dactylar seta with hirsute apex and not exceeding the claw, and some other setae and scales. Pleopod exopodites without dorsal respiratory fields and without marginal setae. Pleopod 5 exopodite with area of pectinate scales on the caudal face. Male pleopod 1 endopodite slightly curved outwards, with row of minute setae. On the lateral margin of exopodite 1, there is a very narrow margin that is thinner than the remaining portion of the exopodite and therefore resembles a respiratory field delimited by a sulcus. Male pleopod 2 endopodite slightly exceeding the exopodite; exopodite 5 on the medial margin with a furrow to receive endopodite 2. Male exopodite 1 lateral margin slightly indented. Uropod protopodite with outer corner rounded. Exopodite inserted on the inner corner, about half as wide as the apical margin of the protopodite.

Biology

Females with marsupium are found in March–April, July–August, and December (probably during the whole year). Number of eggs (or embryos) in the marsupium: five (N = 2), six (N = 1), seven (N = 1), eight (N = 3), nine (N = 3), ten (N = 6), 11 (N = 1), and 15 (N = 1). In the smallest females, there are eight eggs in rows of two. Lower numbers refer to larger females, which are presumed to have lost some eggs or embryos. In the largest females, eggs can be arranged in transverse rows of up to four eggs.

Although most specimens were collected in caves, we found N. venezuelana outside caves in two cases.

Remarks

Samples from different localities show considerable variation concerning male characters. The distal process of ischium 7 may appear longer or shorter; this is probably an artefact caused by the hyaline nature of the process. Also, the scale-row on the ischium is more or less curved and more or less strongly developed. The pleopod 1 exopodite has a weakly sinuous lateral margin in small (subadult) males, but a pronounced notch in large males. In the male characters, N. zoiai Manicastri, 1991 much resembles immature specimens of N. venezuelana . Furthermore, it should be considered that the sides of the pleotelson may appear straight or sinuous, depending on the angle under which the pleotelson is viewed. However, a clear difference is seen in the lateral margin of coxal plate 5.

The last two samples of the list contain specimens deviating from the above description in their distinctly smaller body size, although they are adult, as proven by the presence of a marsupium in females and of sperm bundles in males. Furthermore, they have a strongly hirsute appearance, the dorsal scale setae being longer than in typical N. venezuelana specimens of the same body size. As the male characters are within the range of variation described above, the question of whether these samples represent a separate species remains open to future research.

Geographical distribution

Venezuela, States Falcón, Lara, Trujillo, Aragua .

Figures

Figure 25. Neosanfilippia venezuelana Brian, 1957: ♂, 1.8 mm wide, habitus; ♂, 6.3 × 2.5 mm, cephalothorax, pleon (Venezuela, near Cueva San Luis, 11°07′35″ N, 69°40′76″ W, leg. C. Schmidt, 20 March 1998, cCS 194b).

Figure 26. Neosanfilippia venezuelana Brian, 1957: ♂, 6.3 × 2.5 mm, coxal plates, uropods (Venezuela, near Cueva San Luis, 11°07′35″ N, 69°40′76″ W, leg. C. Schmidt, 20 March 1998, cCS 194b).

Figure 27. Neosanfilippia venezuelana Brian, 1957: ♂, 6.3 × 2.5 mm, mouthparts, first antennae (Venezuela, near Cueva San Luis, 11°07′35″ N, 69°40′76″ W, leg. C. Schmidt, 20 March 1998, cCS 194b).

Figure 28. Neosanfilippia venezuelana Brian, 1957: ♂, 6.3 × 2.5 mm, pereiopods 1–4 (Venezuela, near Cueva San Luis, 11°07′35″ N, 69°40′76″ W, leg. C. Schmidt, 20 March 1998, cCS 194b).

Figure 29. Neosanfilippia venezuelana Brian, 1957: ♂, 6.3 × 2.5 mm, pereiopods 5–7, second antenna (Venezuela, near Cueva San Luis, 11°07′35″ N, 69°40′76″W, leg. C. Schmidt, 20 March 1998, cCS 194b).

Figure 30. Neosanfilippia venezuelana Brian, 1957: ♂, 6.3 × 2.5 mm, pleopods 1–5 (Venezuela, near Cueva San Luis, 11°07′35″ N, 69°40′76″ W, leg. C. Schmidt, 20 March 1998, cCS 194b).