Xangoniscus, Campos-Filho & Araujo & Bichuette & Trajano & Taiti, 2014

Campos-Filho, Ivanklin Soares, Araujo, Paula Beatriz, Bichuette, Maria Elina, Trajano, Eleonora & Taiti, Stefano, 2014, Terrestrial isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) from Brazilian caves, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 172 (2), pp. 360-425 : 368-373

GENUS XANGONISCUS CAMPOS- FILHO, ARAUJO & TAITI GEN. NOV.

Type species: Xangoniscus aganju Campos-Filho, Araujo & Taiti sp. nov.

Diagnosis

Body slightly convex, unable to roll up into a ball, with pleon narrower than pereon. Cephalon with large antennary lobes, distinct suprantennal line, and a transversal groove on the anterior part of vertex. Pleonites 3–5 with epimera well developed, with visible posterior points. Antennule of three articles with two long apical aesthetascs. Antenna with flagellum of three clearly distinct articles and a short apical organ. Right mandible with one penicil; left mandible with two penicils. Maxillule outer branch with 5 + 5 teeth entire and two long and thick setose stalks; inner branch with three penicils at apex. Maxilla with outer lobe much broader than inner lobe. Maxilliped basis triangular, with enlarged distal portion; endite narrow, bearing a large apical penicil. Pereopods with unbranched and glabrous dactylar setae, and a fringe of large scales on distal margins of segments. Uropod with endopod and exopod inserted at the same level. Pleopod exopods with a fringe of thin setae along margins. Genital papilla lanceolate. Male pleopod 1 exopod shorter than endopod, endopod two-jointed, with flagelliform distal article. Male pleopod 2 endopod stout with distal article truncate, bearing a wrench-like apex.

Etymology

The new genus is named after Xangô Orisha, the Afro- Brazilian divinity of fire, thunderbolt, and justice, known as the only Orisha that has power over the dead, and with strong connections to trees and nature.

Remarks

In having the distal article of the second male pleopod 2 endopod with truncate and complex apex, Xangoniscus gen. nov. resembles Clavigeroniscus and Thailandoniscus . It is readily distinguished from both genera in having a transversal groove on vertex along the frontal margin, in lacking the penicil on the molar process of the right mandible, and in the more complex apex of the male pleopod 2 endopod; it is distinguished from Clavigeroniscus by the unbranched dactylar seta of the pereopods, and also from Thailandoniscus in the genital papilla distally not enlarged. In the stout endopod of the male pleopod 2, Xangoniscus gen. nov. is also similar to Spelunconiscus gen. nov., from which it differs by the well-developed epimera of pleonites 3–5, the antennule with long apical aesthetascs, the antennal flagellum with three distinct articles, the lines of scales on pereopods, male pleopod 1 exopod shorter than endopod, and the complex apical part of the male pleopod 2 endopod.