Kadiweuoniscus rebellis Lopez-Orozco, Campos-Filho & Bichuette sp. nov.

Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Type material.

Brazil ● 1♂, holotype, Flor da Bodoquena Cave, Bodoquena, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 20°45'19"S, 56°48'8"W, 14.VIII.2011, leg. LM Cordeiro, LES 0029048 ● 1♂, 1♀ (part in micropreparations), paratypes, Dente de Cão Cave, 20°44'48"S, 56°47'4.2"W, 13.VI.2022, leg. LM Cordeiro, A Chagas-Jr, ME Bichuette, LES 0029049 ● 2♀♀, paratypes, same data as previous, LES 0029050 ● 1♀, paratypes, same data as holotype, LES 0029051 ● 1♀, paratypes, Urubu Rei Cave, 20°29'40"S, 56°51'11"W, 16.VI.2022, leg. LM Cordeiro, A Chagas-Jr, ME Bichuette, LES 0029052 ● 1♀, paratypes, same data as previous, LES 0029053 ● 1♂, same data as previous, LES 0029054.

Description.

Maximum body length: male 4.5 mm, female 5 mm. Body outline as in Fig. 3A, B. Colourless (Fig. 3B). Dorsal surface granulated bearing pointed scale-setae (Fig. 3A, C, D). Cephalon (Fig. 3E-G) with small semicircular antennary lobes; eyes absent. Pereonites 1-2 with epimera semicircular, 3-7 with posterior corners gradually more acute (Fig. 3A, B, D, F, G). Pleon (Fig. 3H) narrower than pereon, pleonite 3-5 epimera elongated and acute. Telson (Fig. 3H) broader than long, lateral sides almost straight, rounded apex. Antennula (Fig. 3I) distal article longest with four apical aesthetascs. Antenna (Fig. 4A) long, not surpassing pereonite 3 when extended backwards; flagellum of articles subequal in length; apical organ shorter than basal article of flagellum, bearing small free sensilla. Mandibles with molar penicil of six to seven branches; right mandible (Fig. 4B) with 1+1 free penicils; left mandible (Fig. 4C) with 2+1 free penicils. Maxillula (Fig. 4D) inner endite bearing two setose penicils, distal margin rounded; outer endite with 4 + 4 teeth simple, elongated and curved. Maxilla (Fig. 4E) with setose lobes; outer lobe slightly smaller than inner lobe, quadrangular and covered with thin and long setae; inner lobe rounded and covered with thin and thick setae. Maxilliped (Fig. 4F) basis rectangular; first article of palp bearing two setae; endite rectangular, medial seta overpassing distal margin, ventrally with setose sulcus. Uropod (Fig. 4G) protopod and exopod grooved on outer margin. Pereopods 1-7 bearing sparse setae on sternal margin. Pereopod 1 (Fig. 5A) carpus with antennal grooming brush reduced, composed by short scale-setae; dactylus with ungual and dactylar setae simple (Fig. 5B). Pleopod exopods without respiratory areas.

Male. Pereopod 1-7 (Fig. 5A-H) gradually more elongated, without particular modifications. Genital papilla (Fig. 6A) with lanceolate ventral shield; papilla longer than ventral shield bearing two subapical orifices. Pleopod 1 (Fig. 6A) exopod ovoidal, inner margin with one small seta; endopod stout, three times longer than exopod, slightly bent outwards, apex bearing setae on inner margin. Pleopod 2 (Fig. 6E) exopod triangular, outer margin concave bearing four setae; endopod flagelliform, slightly longer than exopod. Pleopod 3 and 4 (Fig. 6C, D) exopods rhomboid, outer margin with four setae, inner margin slightly convex. Pleopod 5 (Fig. 6E) exopod rhomboid, longer than wide, distal and outer margins rounded bearing four small setae.

Etymology.

The new species name alludes to the resistance group from the Star Wars fiction series, the Rebel Alliance, that fights against the Empire. The Kadiwéu indigenous people were known as warriors, and they fought for Brazil in the Paraguayan War to reclaim and secure their lands in the Serra da Bodoquena region. Today, they are confined to the outskirts of the Bodoquena plateau and the Pantanal plain. The designation ‘rebellis’ is used as an adjective for the genus name.

Ecological remarks.

The physicochemical data of microhabitats of Kadiweuoniscus rebellis gen. et sp. nov. are: pH = 7.5, high conductivity (c. 0.450 µS .cm-1), moderate temperature (22 °C) and moderate dissolved oxygen (ca. 6.0 mg.l-1). pH values (neutral to basic) are typical of karst waters. The abundance is particularly low in each cave, and they have a preference for rocky substrates with a silty and pebble bottom (Fig. 7A, B). Amphibious habit (see Suppl. material 1).