Caecopactes chullachaqui Campos-Filho, Sfenthourakis and Bichuette 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Campos-Filho, Ivanklin Soares
name: Sfenthourakis, Spyros
name: Gallão, Jonas Eduardo
name: Senna-Horta, Lilia
name: Bichuette, Maria Elina
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Isopoda
Scleropactidae
Caecopactes
Caecopactes chullachaqui

description: Caecopactes chullachaqui Campos-Filho, Sfenthourakis and Bichuette sp. nov.
(Figs. 1 – 5)
http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: C0F77BDF-BFE8-4764-A656-B9164D7505B2
Type material. Holotype: male adult (MUSM-CRUS 0100000), Peru, San Martin, Rioja, Nueva Cajamarca, Cueva de Palestina, 5º52’33”S 77º20’51.31”W, 900 m a.s.l., 9 Sep 2016, leg. M.E. Bichuette, J.E. Gallão and L.S. Horta, specimens on decomposing organic material. Paratypes: one male (parts in micro-preparations), three females (one in micro-preparations) (MUSM-CRUS 0100001), same data as holotype; one male, two females (LES 27969), same data as holotype.
Description. Maximum body length: male and female 9 mm.
Body pigments and eyes absent.
Body (Fig. 3A) strongly convex; dorsum smooth bearing triangular scale-setae (Fig. 3B). Pereonite 1 epimera laterally rounded, anterior corner not surpassing distal margin of cephalon; pereonites 2 and 3 epimera rounded, 4–7 subquadrangular; pleonites 3–5 epimera with continuous outline with that of pereonite 7 (Fig. 3A, F); pereonite 1 epimera not grooved laterally, ventral lobe slightly surpassing outer lobe of schisma; pereonite 2 epimera without ventral lobe (Fig. 3G–J).
Cephalon (Fig. 3C–F) with lateral lobes welldeveloped and directed outwards; frontal shield fused with vertex; linea suprantennalis absent; lamina frontalis with 2 lateral rounded lobes (visible under light microscopy); lateral margins depressed to accommodate anterior corner of pereonite 1 epimera.
Pereonites 1–7 epimera (Fig. 3G, I) bearing 1 line of noduli laterales per side at same distance from lateral and posterior margins.
Pleonites 3–5 epimera (Fig. 3K) rectangular, epimera 5 surpassing distal margin of telson.
Telson (Fig. 3K) triangular, lateral sides almost straight, distal margin broad, not covering uropods.
Antennula (Fig. 3L) with distal article longest bearing 8 aesthetascs in 4 rows plus apical pair.
Antenna (Fig.3M) not surpassing posterior margin of pereonite 1 when extended backwards; flagellum distal article about 3 times as long as proximal article bearing lateral aesthetascs.
Left mandible (Fig. 4A) with 2+1 penicils, right mandible (Fig. 4B) with 1+1 penicils.
Maxillula (Fig. 4C) inner endite with distal margin rounded covered with thin setae;outer endite composed of 3+4 simple teeth.
Maxilla (Fig. 4D) inner lobe rounded and covered with thick setae; outer lobe twice as wide as inner lobe and covered with thin setae.
Maxilliped (Fig. 4E) basis rectangular; palp proximal article bearing 1 seta; endite rectangular, medial seta stout.
Pereopods 1–7 (Fig.5A, B) gradually increasing in size, merus and carpus 1–7 bearing sparse setae and hyaline fringe of scales on sternal margin; carpus 1 with distal seta with double-serrate apex, antennal grooming brush longitudinal reaching about half of its length; dactylus with dactylar and ungual setae simple.
Uropod (Figs 3K, 4F, G) protopod triangular and elongated, endopod twice as long as exopod bearing several distal setae;exopod inserted on medial portion bearing several distal setae.
Male: Pereopod 7 (Fig. 5B) ischium with sternal margin concave. Genital papilla (Fig. 5C) with elongated triangular ventral shield and distal papilla bearing subapical orifices. Pleopod 1 (Fig. 5D) exopod sub-trapezoidal, proximal margin straight, distal and lateral margins rounded; endopod 4 times as long as exopod, distal portion tapering, apex bent outwards bearing small setae on median portion. Pleopod 2 (Fig. 5E) exopod triangular, outer margin concave bearing 3 small setae; endopod flagelliform longer than exopod. Pleopod 3 exopod (Fig. 5F) triangular, outer portion rounded, outer margin concave bearing2 setae. Pleopod4 exopod (Fig.5G)rhomboid, proximal outer corner depressed, outer margin sinuous bearing 5 small setae. Pleopod 5 exopod (Fig. 5H) triangular, proximal outer corner depressed, outer margin slightly convex bearing 4 setae, inner margin slightly grooved to fit distal portion of endopod 2.
Etymology. The new species is named after the Peruvian Amazonian myth ‘El Chullachaqui’. In Quechua native language, chulla = unlike, and chaqui (pre-Hispanic Peruvian) = foot. The Chullachaqui is a dwarf who inhabits the mountain forests of Amazon and can transform into any animal or person. It is also known as the guardian of the rainforests, taking care of the animals and plants from hunters.
Habitat. The specimens were collected in decomposing organic matter and guano in the aphotic zone.
Remarks. Caecopates chullachaqui sp. nov. differs from C. minimus in having a cephalon lamina frontalis with protruding lateral corners (vs. not protruding in C. minimus), antennal peduncle with fourth and fifth articles not triangular shaped (vs. triangular shaped in C minimus), maxillula outer endite with the outer set of teeth simple (vs. maxillula outer endite with outer set bearing two teeth apically cleft), male pleopod 1 endopod with distal portion bent outwards (vs. straight in C. minimus), male pleopod 2 exopod elongated (vs. short in C. minimus), and male pleopods 4 and 5 exopods with outer proximal portion depressed (vs. not depressed in C. minimus).
description: Published as part of Campos-Filho, Ivanklin Soares, Sfenthourakis, Spyros, Gallão, Jonas Eduardo, Senna-Horta, Lilia & Bichuette, Maria Elina, 2023, The first troglobitic terrestrial isopod (Isopoda, Oniscidea) from Peru, pp. 1-12 in Nauplius (e 2023003) (e 2023003) 31 on pages 5-7, DOI: 10.1590/2358-2936e2023003, http://zenodo.org/record/10716708