Abstract
The genus Iansaoniscus is currently known from four troglobitic species, all recorded from limestone caves in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. Here, a new species of Iansaoniscus from the state of Minas Gerais is described as the first species of the genus discovered in a ferruginous cave. Mocororô Cave is known to be partially excavated by extinct giant sloths, and thus at least part of it may be classified as a paleoburrow. This represents the first known case of a troglobitic isopod occurring in such a context. The discovery expands both the ecological and geographical range of the genus and underscores the importance of iron-ore caves and paleoburrows as unique and understudied subterranean habitats that host specialized and endemic fauna. Ecological observations of the new species are provided, and potential threats are discussed. Finally, new records for two previously described Iansaoniscus species are provided, extending their known distributional ranges along with their ecological information and potential threats to their conservation.
References
- Anderson, L.E. (1954) Hoyer’s Solution as a Rapid Permanent Mounting Medium for Bryophytes. The Bryologist, 57, 242–245. https://doi.org/10.2307/3240091
- Buchmann, F.S., Frank, H.T., Ferreira, V.M.S. & Cruz, E.A. (2016) Evidência de vida gregária em paleotocas atribuídas a Mylodontidae (Preguiças-Gigantes). Revista Brasileira De Paleontologia, 19 (2), 259–270. https://doi.org/10.4072/rbp.2016.2.09
- Campos-Filho, I.S., Bichuette, M.E., Montesanto, G., Araujo, P.B. & Taiti, S. (2017) The first troglobiotic species of the family Pudeoniscidae (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea), with descriptions of a new genus and two new species. Subterranean Biology, 23, 69–84. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.23.20963
- Campos-Filho, I.S., Lisboa, J.T. & Cardoso, G.M. (2018) A new genus and two new species of Pudeoniscidae Lemos de Castro, 1973 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) from Brazil. Journal of Natural History, 52 (7–8), 457–482. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2018.1437229
- Cardoso, G.M., Bastos-Pereira, R. & Ferreira, R.L. (2022) Two new troglobitic species of Iansaoniscus from Brazilian caves (Crustacea, Isopoda, Pudeoniscidae). Subterranean Biology, 43, 127–143. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.43.81308
- Carmo, F.F., Campos, I.C., Carmo, F.F. & Júnior, R.T. (2015) O Vale do Peixe Bravo: área prioritária para a conservação dos geossistemas ferruginosos no norte de Minas Gerais. In: Carmo, F.F. & Kamino, L.H.Y. (Eds.), Geosistemas Ferruginosos do Brasil: áreas prioritárias para conservação da diversidade geológica e biológica, patrimônio cultural e serviços ambientais. Instituto Prístino, Belo Horizonte, pp. 497–520.
- Ferreira, R.L. (2005) A vida subterrânea nos campos ferruginosos. O Carste, 3 (17), 106–115.
- Ferreira, R.L., Oliveira, M.P.A. & Silva, M.S. (2015) Biodiversidade subterrânea em geossistemas ferruginosos. In: Carmo, F.F. & Kamino, L.H.Y. (Eds.), Geossistemas Ferruginosos do Brasil: áreas prioritárias para conservação da diversidade geológica e biológica, patrimônio cultural e serviços ambientais. Instituto Prístino, Belo Horizonte, pp. 195–231.
- Lemos de Castro, A. (1973) Pudeoniscidae, família nova, com descrição de um gênero novo e três espécies novas de isópodos terrestres (Isopoda, Oniscoidea). Boletim do Museu Nacional, Nova Serie, Zoologia, 287, 1–10.
- Montesanto, G. (2015) A fast GNU method to draw accurate scientific illustrations for taxonomy. Zookeys, 515, 191–206. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.515.9459
- Montesanto, G. (2016) Drawing setae: a GNU way for digital scientific illustrations. Nauplius, 24, e2016017. https://doi.org/10.1590/2358-2936e2016017
- Mota, R.C., Kamino, L.H.Y. & Carmo, F.F. (2017) Levantamento florístico preliminar das plantas vasculares do Geossistema Ferruginoso do Peixe Bravo. In: Carmo, F.F. & Kamino, L.H.Y. (Eds.), O Vale do Rio Peixe Bravo: Ilhas de Ferro no Sertão Mineiro. 3i Editora, Belo Horizonte, pp. 1–208.
- Souza, M.F.V.R. & Ferreira, R.L. (2022) Eukoenenia mocororo (Palpigradi: Eukoeneniidae): a new troglobitic palpigrade from a Brazilian ferruginous cave. Zootaxa, 5213 (5), 497–512. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5213.5.2
- Ocampo-Maceda, A.T., López-Orozco, C.M., López-Tejeda, E.L. & Campos-Filho, I.S. (2023) First record of Pudeoniscidae Lemos de Castro, 1973 (Oniscidea) from Peru, with the description of a new genus and species. European Journal of Taxonomy, 861, 65–77. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2023.861.2067
- Vandel, A. (1963) Isopodes terrestres recueillis en Amérique du Sud par Claude Delamare Deboutteville. In: Debouteville, C.D. & Rapoport, E.H. (Eds.), Biologie de l’Amérique Austral, Paris, 2, 63–100.