Trichoniscoides meridionalis Vandel, 1946

Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S., Gonçalves, Fernando, Oromí, Pedro & Taiti, Stefano, 2015, The cavernicolous Oniscidea (Crustacea: Isopoda) of Portugal, European Journal of Taxonomy 161, pp. 1-61 : 8-9

Trichoniscoides meridionalis Vandel, 1946

Fig. 3 A–C

Trichoniscoides pseudomixtus meridionalis Vandel, 1946: 175 , figs 16–19. Trichoniscoides meridionalis – Vandel 1952a: 266, figs 2, 13. — Schmölzer 1965: 37, figs 83–84; 1971: 5, 75, 139, map 4. — Reboleira et al. 2011a: 7, table 1.

Material examined

PORTUGAL: 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Gruta dos Moinhos Velhos, Estremenho Massif, 24 Mar. 2007 ( MZUF); 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Algar do Vale da Pena, Estremenho Massif, 26 Jul. 2011 (SR); 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, 1 juv., Algar do Burro, Estremenho Massif, 5 May 2014 ( MZUF); 1 ♀, Algar do Zé de Braga, Estremenho Massif, 16 Feb. 2013 (SR); 7 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Algar do Ladoeiro, Estremenho Massif, 3 Feb. 2007 ( MZUF); 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, same locality, 6 Jan. 2007 (SR); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 3 juvs, Gruta do Almonda, Estremenho Massif, 24Aug. 2013 ( MZUF); 1 ♀, same locality, 17 Feb. 2013 (SR); 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, same locality, 25 Aug. 2013 ( ZMUC); 1 ♂, Gruta do Papagaio, Estremenho Massif, 5 Apr. 2014 ( MZUF).

Previous records

Lapa da Chã de Cima, Porto de Mós, Leiria; Gruta das Alcobertas, Rio Maior, Santarém ( Vandel 1946). Lapa dos Ladoeiros, Porto de Mós; Lapa da Ovelha, Serra de Minde, Santarém ( Vandel 1952a).

Distribution

This species is restricted to the Estremenho karst massif, in central-western Portugal.

Remarks

This form was described by Vandel (1946) as a subspecies of Trichoniscoides pseudomixtus (Arcangeli, 1935) , a species present in some caves of northeastern Spain. Vandel (1952a) elevated this form to species level. The male pereopod 7 and male pleopods 1 and 2 are illustrated in Fig. 3 from specimens collected in Gruta dos Moinhos Velhos.

Ecological notes

This species can be found from the entrances to the deepest parts of the caves, normally associated with decomposing wood. It is distributed along the three main subunits of the Estremenho Massif, being the only troglobiotic oniscidean so far known from this large karst area. Contrary to other troglobiotic arthropods from the same massif, it does not present closely related species along the three subunits ( Reboleira 2007; Reboleira et al. 2009). The biocoenosis of this karst area includes other troglobionts, i.e., the spider Nesticus lusitanicus Fage, 1931 , the campodeid Podocampa cf. fragiloides Silvestri, 1932, and the ground beetles Trechus gamae Reboleira & Serrano, 2009 , T. lunai Reboleira & Serrano, 2009 and T. machadoi Jeannel, 1941 ( Reboleira & Ortuño 2011; Reboleira et al. 2010b).

Figures

Fig. 3. Trichoniscoides meridionalis Vandel, 1946 from Gruta dos Moinhos, Velhos, Estremenho, ♂. A. Pereopod 7. B. Pleopod 1. C. Pleopod 2.