Unique and fragile diversity emerges from Brazilian caves – two new amphibious species of Xangoniscus Campos-Filho, Araujo & Taiti, 2014 (Oniscidea, Styloniscidae) from Serra do Ramalho karst area, state of Bahia, Brazil

Two new troglobitic species of Xangoniscus are described from two caves of Serra do Ramalho karst area, Bambuí geomorphological group, state of Bahia. Xangoniscus lapaensissp. nov. is described from Gruna Boca da Lapa cave, and X. loboisp. nov. from Gruna da Pingueira II cave. Both species are blind and depigmented and show amphibious habits, as observed for all species of Xangoniscus described until now. Xangoniscus lapaensissp. nov. occurs in travertine pools fed by water of the upper aquifer, and X. loboisp. nov. occurs in a small stream, an upper vadose tributary. Both species occur in fragile microhabitats. Ecological and behavioral data, conservation remarks, and IUCN conservation assessments are included to provide background data for conservation efforts in this unique karst area.

An annotated checklist of groundwater Cyclopoida and Harpacticoida (Crustacea, Copepoda) from Romania with notes on their distribution and ecology

Romania, by its position in East-Central Europe has a complex geological history, high landscape heterogeneity and variable climatic conditions, ranging from temperate-continental in the northeast to sub-Mediterranean in the southwest. These conditions have created repeated waves of colonisation of groundwater by copepods, which raise particular interest in this group from a biogeographical perspective. The earliest investigations on groundwater copepods, dating back to the beginning of the 19th century, have resulted in a wealth of information on the richness of this group, making Romania one of the best studied regions from this perspective in Europe. Groundwater copepods in Romania are currently represented by 107 species and subspecies, of which 60 are harpacticoids (56%) and 47 are cyclopoids (43.9%). Of these, 50.5% are strict stygobites (32.7% harpacticoids and 17.7% cyclopoids). Among stygobite copepods 29 species (35 harpacticoids and 19 cyclopoids) are endemic to the country. Almost 86% of the species are single-site endemics (single cave, or single hyporheic or phreatic site) and the rest are restricted in distribution to a single aquifer or hydrographic basin. The aim of the present checklist represents a significant contribution to the knowledge of groundwater copepods in Romania and provides a sound baseline for future comparative faunal studies focused on the affinities and origins of copepods and the analysis of their biogeographical distribution patterns at regional and continental scales.

Four new species of troglomorphic Coecobrya Yosii, 1956 (Collembola, Entomobryidae) from Thailand based on morphological and molecular evidence, with an updated key of Thai troglomorphic species

Four new species of troglomorphic Coecobrya Yosii, 1956 are described from caves located in the central and northeastern regions of Thailand. Coecobrya whittenisp. nov. and C. troglobiasp. nov. are from Khon Kaen province, C. ellisisp. nov. is from Phetchabun province and C. phitsanulokensissp. nov. is from Phitsanulok province. They all exhibit remarkable troglobitic characters i.e. elongated antennae, legs and furca, slender claw complex and large body size. Coecobrya whittenisp. nov. is similar to C. troglobiasp. nov. and they were found a distance of only 3.4 km from each other. However, they are mainly different in the number of An mac on dorsal head and number of chaetae of Th. II. Likewise, C. ellisisp. nov. is similar to C. phitsanulokensissp. nov.. However, they differ in the number of An mac on the dorsal head, the number of central mac on Abd. II, central mac on Abd. IV, lateral mac on Abd. IV and the number of inner teeth of the claw. Moreover, C. ellisisp. nov. has orange pigment dots on the body, a unique character, considering that all other troglomorphic Coecobrya species in Thailand are devoid of pigmentation. The results of the molecular approach based on two partial mitochondrial markers (COI and 16S rDNA) and a nuclear gene fragment (28S rDNA) supported the results of morphological species discrimination in separating the four nominal populations as valid species. An updated dichotomous key of Thai troglomorphic Coecobrya species is also given.

A new species of Leonhardia Reitter, 1901 (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Leptodirini) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a key to species of the genus

A new leptodirine leiodid beetle species belonging to the genus Leonhardia Reitter, 1901, L. solakisp. nov., from a pit in Bosnia and Herzegovina (western Balkan Peninsula) is described and diagnosed. Important morphological features of the new species are listed and photographed. The new species is endemic to the Dinarides of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A key for identification of species and subspecies of the genus Leonhardia is also provided.

Four new species of the genus Ochyrocera (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae) from iron caves of the state of Minas Gerais, with the description of the third anophtalmic species from Brazil

Four new species of the spider genus Ochyrocera Fage, 1912 are described from iron caves in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Here we present the third anophtalmic and depigmented species of the genus, O. dorinhasp. nov., and three other depigmented species: O. monicasp. nov., O. magalisp. nov. and O. rosinhasp. nov. Only O. dorinhasp. nov. and O. rosinhasp. nov. are considered as troglobites due the ocular reduction or anophthalmia and elongated appendages, two troglomorphic features absent in the other species described.

Distribution of Stenasellidae in Africa and description of a new species of Metastenasellus from Cameroonian groundwaters

During recent investigations of the groundwater fauna of Cameroon, specimens of a new species of the stygobitic genus Metastenasellus, M. boutini sp. nov. were collected in wells of the city of Douala. The new species can be easily distinguished from the other species of the genus by its relatively large size (up to 11 mm), pleonite 1 and 2 half the length of pereonite 7, the shape of pleopod 2 in males (presence of an external lobe on the protopodite, distal part of the spermatic duct slightly protruding out of the second article, lack of a distal seta on the exopodite), and uropod half the length of the pleotelson. Ecological data and a key to Metastenasellus species are provided. We also performed an exhaustive analysis of the literature on Stenasellidae in Africa to study the geographical distribution of the family in this continent and discuss some hypotheses about the origin of African species.

Three new species of cave Troglopedetes (Collembola, Paronellidae, Troglopedetinae) from Thailand, with a key to the Thai species

Thailand is today the richest country for the genus Troglopedetes Joseph, 1872, with 17 species described from the country. In this study three troglomorphic new species are described from caves in the western region. They are T. spectabilissp. nov. and T. rungsimaesp. nov. from Kanchanaburi province and T. takensissp. nov., from Tak province. The three new species share elongated antennae and have the same number of central mac on Th. III and Abd. IV. However, they differ from one another by the combination of: presence of eyes, antennal length, claw morphology, central head macrochaetotaxy and internal row of dental spines. Troglopedetes spectabilissp. nov. is remarkably different from its congeners by its extreme long appendages, especially the antennae (ratio antenna: head = 5.5). In the second part of the paper the arrangment of antennal chaetotaxy and the diversity of its phaneres is analyzed in the three new species, homologized and compared with those of two other species described from Thailand (T. meridionalis and T. kae). A total of 22 types of chaetae have now been recognized among the species. A new type of S-chaetae for the genus was discovered in this study. There are 5 types of ordinary chaetae, 15 types of S-chaetae, the subapical organite of Ant. IV and scales. A total of 1,107 to 2,183 antennal chaetae on each side were observed, which includes 308–485 S-chaetae, 687–1,402 ordinary chaetae, 72–295 scales and a subapical organite.

The first troglobitic Pseudochthonius Balzan, 1892 (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae) from the karst area of Serra do Ramalho, Brazil: a threatened species

Pseudochthonius ramalhosp. nov. is described to Gruna do Vandercir cave, in the Serra do Ramalho karst area, southwestern Bahia, Brazil. This area has an extensive limestone outcrop, with several caves, and the occurrence of potential minerals that are financially attractive for mining projects. The new species shows troglomorphic characteristics such as the depigmentation of the carapace and absence or reduction of eyes. It is a rare troglobitic species, and following the criteria of IUCN, we categorized the species as Critically Endangered – CR, IUCN criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii). According to Brazilian legislation, locations, where critically endangered species live, can be protected by law, and we consider this cave/region to be of maximal relevance for protection.

New troglobitic species of Niambia from Botswana and Namibia (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea)

Three new species in the genus Niambia are described from southern African caves: N. botswanaensissp. nov. from Diviner’s Cave (Botswana), N. ghaubensissp. nov. from Ghaub Cave and N. namibiaensissp. nov. from Märchen Cave (Namibia). All these species show troglomorphic traits such as absence of body pigmentation and eyes. These are the first troglobitic species recorded in the genus. Most of the other species of Niambia are epigean and occur in semi-arid environments in the Afrotropical Region.

Rediscovery and redescription of Niphargus enslini Karaman, 1932 (Amphipoda, Niphargidae) in southern Germany

Niphargus enslini Karaman, 1932 was collected only once in 1905 from the Falkensteiner Höhle (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). Two years after its description, the species was synonymized with Niphargus virei and not studied any more. During recent surveys on German niphargids, further samples collected in this cave did not yield N. enslini specimens, but this species was collected in the Blätterteighöhle and in the Schwarzer Brunnen, two caves located in Baden-Württemberg and intercepting the same karstic aquifer feeding Falkensteiner Höhle. In an integrative taxonomic approach, we carefully studied the morphology of the newly collected specimens and sequenced two molecular markers (fragments of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene) to test for possible conspecificity of N. enslini with N. virei. Morphological analysis confirmed that N. enslini is distinct from the N. virei species complex. We provide a redescription of newly collected material, together with new drawings of a more than 100 years old topotypic female. We briefly discuss the putative origin of N. enslini and the age of its split from the N. virei species complex.