Leucocyphoniscus pisanus, Taiti & Montesanto, 2018

Taiti, Stefano & Montesanto, Giuseppe, 2018, New species of subterranean and endogean terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Oniscidea) from Tuscany (central Italy), Zoosystema 40 (11), pp. 197-226 : 198-200

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/zoosystema2018v40a11
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E8AFD7E7-4FDD-408E-BB77-75E61F2BF22F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3810277
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2C35B10A-CEA5-46BC-BCF6-1C8BD85810BC
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:2C35B10A-CEA5-46BC-BCF6-1C8BD85810BC
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Leucocyphoniscus pisanus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Leucocyphoniscus pisanus View in CoL n. sp.

( Figs 1-3 View FIG View FIG View FIG , 21A View FIG )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2C35B10A-CEA5-46BC-BCF6-1C8BD85810BC

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. ♂, Monte Pisano , Buca delle Fate di Cima Sugheretta, 1823 T/PI, 43°44’37”N, 10°29’03”E, San Giuliano Terme, Prov. Pisa, leg. S. Taiti and G. A. Gruber, 20.I.2007 ( MZUF 9664) GoogleMaps . Paratypes. 3 ♂, 12♀, same data as holotype (MZUF 9664); GoogleMaps 9 ♂, 6 ♀, same locality as holotype, leg. S. Taiti, 25.I.2008 ( MZUF 9665); GoogleMaps 1 ♂, 2 ♀, same data ( MNHN-IU- 2017-1438 ); GoogleMaps 1♀, Monti d’Oltreserchio , Tana della Volpe di Baccanella, 247 T/ PI, 43°47’05”N, 10°24’09”E, Baccanella, Vecchiano, Prov. Pisa, leg. S. Taiti and M. Del Guasta, 10.II.2007 ( MZUF 9666 ) GoogleMaps .

DIAGNOSIS. — A species of Leucocyphoniscus characterized by the cephalon with three large tubercles and a very prominent tubercle on pleonite 3.

ETYMOLOGY. — The new species in named after the sampling locality (Monte Pisano).

DESCRIPTION

Maximum length: ♂, 3.8 mm; ♀, 4.1 mm. Body colourless, ovoidal, outline not interrupted between pereon and pleon; pereon tergites strongly convex, epimera obliquely directed outwards ( Fig. 1A View FIG ). Dorsum bearing distinct ribs and tubercles ( Fig. 1 View FIG A-C): cephalon with one central tubercle with two rounded tips, and two large tubercles near rear margin; pereonites with 1+1 well developed longitudinal paramedian ribs almost as long as tergites, and 3 +3 faint external ribs; pleonite 3 with one prominent median tubercle. Cephalon ( Fig. 1B, C View FIG ) with large subquadrangular frontal lateral lobes, directed outwards and not protruding compared with widely rounded median lobe. Eyes absent. Pereonites with right-angled posterior corners ( Fig. 1A View FIG ). Pleonites 3-5 ( Fig. 1A View FIG ) with large epimera obliquely directed backwards. Telson ( Fig. 1D View FIG ) wider than long, distal part trapezoidal with concave sides and truncate apex. Antennula ( Fig. 1E View FIG ) of three articles, basal article longest; two aestethacs at apex as long as third article. Antenna ( Fig. 1F View FIG ) with fifth article of peduncle slightly longer than flagellum; flagellum of three articles, with three aesthetascs on second article. Mandibles ( Fig. 2A, B View FIG ) with two free penicils on left and one free penicil on right. Maxillula ( Fig. 2C View FIG ) outer branch with 4+4 teeth, setose stem among outer group of teeth; inner branch with three stout penicils at apex, outer penicil much longer than other two. Maxilla ( Fig. 2D View FIG ) with bilobed and setose apex. Maxilliped ( Fig. 2E View FIG ) endite with stout subtriangular penicil at apex, palp distally rounded with long setae with basal article bearing two setae. Uropod ( Fig. 2F View FIG ) with flattened protopod; endopod slightly longer than exopod, with one apical seta; exopod with a tuft of five apical setae.

Male

Pereopod 1 ( Fig. 3A View FIG ) with no distinct modifications.Pereopod 7 ( Fig. 3B View FIG ) ischium with slightly convex sternal margin, carpus with three large setae on sternal margin. Genital papilla as in Fig. 3C View FIG . Pleopod 1 ( Fig. 3D View FIG ) exopod subtriangular, longer than wide, slightly concave outer margin and straight medial margin, apex rounded; endopod distinctly longer than exopod, second article with parallel sides and rounded apex, slightly bent outwards. Pleopod 2 ( Fig. 3E View FIG ) exopod much wider than long; endopod with distal part narrow. Pleopod 3-5 exopods as in Fig. 3 View FIG F-H.

REMARKS

The new species is included in the genus Leucocyphoniscus for the pattern of dorsal ornamentation, i.e., two paramedian large ribs on the pereonites and a single large tubercle on the pleonite 3. The genus was previously known only from three species: L. verruciger Verhoeff, 1900 , from Monte Generoso (southern Switzerland) and Como Province (northern Italy); L. solarii Brian, 1914 , from some caves in Como Province; and L. torrii Arcangeli, 1946 , from Grotta del Böter (or Grotta di Opreno), Lecco Province (northern Italy). Although the descriptions of these species are not detailed and with poor illustrations, our specimens are definitely belonging to a new species. It differs from all the other species in the disposition of the dorsal tubercles on the cephalon and the extreme development of the median tubercle on the pleonite 3. It also differs from L. verruciger in having the antennula with two instead of three aesthetascs (compare Fig. 1E View FIG and Arcangeli 1923: fig. 6a) and in the male pleopod 1 exopod with a rounded instead of pointed apical part (compare Fig. 3D View FIG and Arcangeli 1923: fig. 8b). The discovery of this new species from caves in Monte Pisano (northwestern Tuscany) considerably enlarges the distribution of the genus.