Epiperipatus beckeri, Costa & Chagas-Junior & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2018

Costa, Cristiano Sampaio, Chagas-Junior, Amazonas & Pinto-da-Rocha, Ricardo, 2018, Redescription of Epiperipatus edwardsii, and descriptions of five new species of Epiperipatus from Brazil (Onychophora: Peripatidae), Zoologia (e 23366) 35, pp. 1-15 : 8

Epiperipatus beckeri sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ 0CF05504-9F4C-4CB2-8652-F5CEE3545194

Figs 10, 24–27, 37

Diagnosis. Dorsal background color of body light orange, with dark orange dorsomedian furrow, and antennae purple brownish. Apical piece of primary papillae symmetrical, reduced, not hidden basally.

Compound description. Measurements: length 35–53, width 2.0–4.0, height 4.0. Holotype: length 53, width 4.0, height 2.0. Color (living specimens). Background color of body of the specimen is moderate yellowish pink (29) with a mid-longitudinal pale orange yellow (73) wavy stripe interrupt- ed by well-defined background color cardioid patches ( Fig. 24). Dorsomedian furrow thin, dark yellowish pink (30). Anterior portion of head strong yellowish pink (26) gradually turning to light violet (210) in antennae ( Fig. 24). Arrangement of pale primary papillae as in Epiperipatus titanicus . Background color of body of juvenile light violet (210). Description of body. Dorsal papillae roundish and close together, rarely varying in the size. Larger, pale, primary papillae present, except in juveniles, marked only by faded aspect. Dorsal papillae aligned on top of folds. When separate there are 2 to 4 accessory papillae between two primary papillae ( Fig. 25). Base of primary papillae conical and apical piece symmetrical and reduced, with some exceptions (see comments) ( Fig. 10). Seven to twelve scale ranks at base and only one scale rank on apical piece ( Fig. 10). Bristle on apical piece narrow and long, sometimes as long as apical piece ( Fig. 10). Accessory papillae conical, generally the same size as primary papillae, but without apical piece ( Fig. 26). Plicae regular, 12 per segment over legs, seven crossing to ventral side and incomplete plicae shorter than length of dorsal side ( Fig. 25). Head. Holotype with 44 rings with seven broad rings on antennal tip and followed by sequence of alternating narrow and broad rings until fourteenth ring. In the other adult female there are 40 rings with the same aspect described for the holotype. Jaws (holotype) dental formula: 1/2 and 1/2/11 ( Fig. 27).

Legs. Twenty-eight to thirty (juveniles included). Holotype with 30 pairs of legs. Nephridial tubercles between third and fourth spinous pads, connected by strait isthmus on top with third spinous pad. Two prolateral and one retrolateral foot papillae on feet of fourth and fifth legs.

Sexual dimorphism. Males unknown.

Type material. Holotype. ♀, Brazil, Bahia State, Camacan, Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra Bonita , 11–15. vi.2009, Chagas-Jr, A., Dill, V., Giupponi, A., Pedroso, D. & Kury, A. Leg ( MNRJ 0045 ) ,. Paratypes. 1 ♀ and 4 juveniles, Brazil, Bahia State, Camacan, Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural da Serra Bonita , 14.ii to 12.iii.2009, M. Teixeira Junior leg. ( MZUSP 0017 ) .

Distribution ( Fig. 37). Only known from the type locality ( Brazil, Bahia State, Camacan, Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra Bonita.).

Etymology. The specific name beckeri (German surname, noun with Latin ending -i of the genitive case) honoring the naturalist and entomologist Vitor O. Becker, who created and is responsible for the administration of Reserva Particular da Serra Bonita, Camacan, Bahia State.

Remarks. The main differences between juveniles and adults are the color and the kind of dorsal papillae they display. A juvenile was photographed in vivo with background color of body very dark purplish red (260), without diamond areas. The other post-fixed juvenile darker than adults, with background color of body dark brown (55), diamond areas brownish orange (54) and legs on dorsal region pale yellow (89).

The regular primary papillae and accessory papillae have similar size in the adult. In the juveniles, the largest pale primary papillae are more diverse on the dorsal plicae. These primary papillae have a spherical everted and robust apical piece, their arrangement forming longitudinal lines similar to the condition found in the holotype.