Noteochordodes desantisi Miralles & De Villalobos, 2000

Villalobos, Cristina De, Zanca, Fernanda & Salas, Liliana, 2008, Redescription of the genus Noteochordodes, reinterpretation of Noteochordodes dugesi (Camerano, 1898), a new combination of Neochordodes talensis (Camerano, 1897) and a description of a new species, Journal of Natural History 42 (3 - 4), pp. 189-204 : 191-192

Noteochordodes desantisi Miralles & De Villalobos, 2000

( Figure 1 )

Noteochordodes desantisi Miralles and De Villalobos 2000, p. 282 , Figures 7–8.

Holotype. 1♀ ( MLP 3143 ).

Type locality. Catamarca (unspecified locations).

Material investigated. Holotype. SEM mid-body and posterior end.

Description

The body colour is light brown. Anterior end tapered, mouth terminal. Posterior end rounded and the cloacal opening is situated terminally ( Figure 1A ).

The body cuticle contains oval, narrow areoles of variable sizes (14.3 to 22.9 mm long) which appear isolated, in paired clusters with a short tubercle between them or occasionally in clusters of three areoles ( Figures 1B, D ). The apical surface of areoles is flaking. There are also scattered areoles showing a round apex tubercle in one of their lateral parts ( Figures 1B, D ). The interareolar furrow is wide with cord-like folds and scattered tubercles (5.8 mm high).

Comments

Miralles and De Villalobos (2000) described Noteochordodes desantisi with two areolar types. This reinvestigation reveals that the differences in the size and arrangement of the areoles do not justify a separation of the areoles in two different types. Noteochordodes desantisi differs from the other species of Noteochordodes in the features of the apical surface of the areoles and in the arrangement of most of the areoles, which appear either isolated or forming groups of no more than three areoles.

Figures

Figure 1. Noteochordodes desantisi Holotype. A. Ventral view of the posterior end. B. General view of mid body cuticle. C. Detail of mid body cuticle showing a pair of areoles with a tubercle (arrow) between them. D. Detail of mid body cuticle showing, areoles and the interareolar furrow with scattered tubercles (arrow). Bars: A 200 mm, B 20 mm, C, D 10 mm.