Poicarcinia jandairensis, Cardoso & Bento & Ferreira, 2025

Cardoso, Giovanna Monticelli, Bento, Diego de Medeiros & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2025, Remnants of an ancient world: three new genera and three new species of Calabozoidea isopods from Brazilian semi-arid caves (Crustacea: Isopoda), Tropical Zoology (trop. Zool.) 38 (1 - 2), pp. 1-25 : 17-21

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2025.180
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A3B5E8FB-4BEC-48E7-8F5F-AEEE16D194B9
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15787458
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B5213824-FFF8-FFBE-FE03-FF3AC5400B25
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Poicarcinia jandairensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Poicarcinia jandairensis n. sp.

Figures 10E–G View Figure 10 , 11–13 View Figure 11 View Figure 12 View Figure 13 , 14C View Figure 14

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3EBDD2FC-182D-4329-B700-0E2F2C39A0D2

Material examined

BRAZIL: Holotype ♂ ( ISLA 96910 ), Rio Grande do Norte state, Jandaíra municipality, Apertar da Hora cave (5.330550°S, 36.143395°W), 24.I.2024, leg. D. M. Bento. GoogleMaps Paratypes: 1 ♂ (in slide) ( ISLA 96911 ), same data as holotype GoogleMaps ; 5 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀ ( ISLA 96912 ), same data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Description

Body approximately 2 mm, four times as long as wide ( Figures 11A View Figure 11 , 10E View Figure 10 , 14C View Figure 14 ). Head shield subquadrangular, 1.5 wider than long; clypeus short. Pereonites subrectangular, similar in width, with rounded epimeral angles, four setae on lateral margins ( Figures 11A,C View Figure 11 , 10E View Figure 10 ). Pleon about 30% of body length. Pleonites I and II reduced, pleonites I and III about 60% and 80% of pereonite VII width, respectively, pleonites III – V with two setae medially, and two setae on lateral margin. Pleotelson ( Figures 11A View Figure 11 , 10E,F View Figure 10 ) about 20% of body length, and 60% of pleon length, width about 60% of pereonite VII, as wide as long, with four setae medially on dorsal surface, and five setae on lateral margin, apex convex with six setae, two of them almost as long as pleotelson. Antennula ( Figure 11B View Figure 11 ) as long as peduncle of antenna, flagellum of one article with one aesthetasc, longer than flagellum. Antenna ( Figure 11B View Figure 11 ) short, about 40% of body length, reaching pereonite III, flagellum with nine articles. Left mandible ( Figure 11D View Figure 11 ) incisor with four teeth; right mandible ( Figure 11E View Figure 11 ) incisor with three teeth; lacinia mobilis with denticulate apex. Maxillula ( Figure 5F View Figure 5 ) lateral lobe with four robust simple setae, four robust serrate setae and one bifid seta medially, mesial lobe with two robust pappose setae and one simple seta. Maxilla ( Figure 5G View Figure 5 ) lateral and medial lobe with nine serrate setae each; mesial lobe with three robust setae and four plumose setae. Maxilliped ( Figure 5H View Figure 5 ) endite proximal lobe with six pappose setae apically, distal lobe with two robust pappose setae and four slender pappose setae; palp of five articles, first article fused with maxilliped body, articles with long simple setae, article 5 smallest, with tuft of distal setae. Pereopod I ( Figures 12A View Figure 12 , 110G) ambulatory, carpus half of propodus length, propodus medial margin with three serrate setae, dactylus as long as propodus, unguis half of dactylus length; propodus and unguis medial margin with scales. Pereopod II ( Figure 12B View Figure 12 ) carpus as long as propodus, dactylus shorter than propodus. Pereopods III –VII progressively long. Pereopod VII ( Figure 12C View Figure 12 ) 1.6 times longer than pereopod I, propodus longer than carpus, unguis half dactylus length. Uropods ( Figures 10F View Figure 10 , 11A View Figure 11 ) reach pleotelson apex, uniramous, styliform, about 30% of pleotelson length.

Mature male. Genital papilla ( Figure 12D,F View Figure 12 ) bilobed wide base with acute, tapering apex. Pleopod I ( Figure 12D,F View Figure 12 ) stout, longer than wide, distal part wide with apical point. Pleopod II ( Figure 12E View Figure 12 ) protopodite trapezoidal, endopodite simple and slender, longer than exopodite; exopodite ovoid with two plumose setae distally. Pleopods III –IV ( Figure 12G,F View Figure 12 ) exopods ovoid with two plumose setae distally, similar in shape; pleopod IV largest.

Female ( Figure 12H View Figure 12 ). Pleopod I inner ramus longer than wide, apex with two plumose setae. Pleopod II protopodite trapezoidal, inner ramus article with one plumose seta apically, outer ramus oval shaped with two plumose setae distally, smaller than pleopod III. Pleopods III –IV exopods ovoid with two plumose setae distally, in similar shape to holotype.

Etymology The species name refers to the municipality of Jandaíra, where the species was found.

Habitat, threats and conservation status

Specimens of P. jandairensis n. sp. were exclusively collected in Apertar da Hora Cave, a limestone cave featuring approximately 250 meters of narrow conduits and two small entrances ( Figure 13A,B View Figure 13 ). Situated within a limestone outcrop housing 18 other caves, this cave lacks perennial water bodies. The individuals of P. jandairensis n. sp. were discovered in shallow pools that form only during rainy periods ( Figure 13C View Figure 13 ). These specimens were collected during a single expedition to the cave, where, notably, the same pool harbored specimens of stygobiotic planarians ( Tricladida ) and earthworms (Oligochaeta), likely representing new species. It is noteworthy that this cave had been previously surveyed during the dry season, and no such ponds were observed, indicating that these species likely predominantly inhabit epikarstic compartments, which overflow during rainy periods and carry individuals to the cave’s accessible conduits.

While Apertar da Hora Cave and its immediate surroundings currently maintain a relatively preserved state, the limestone outcrop hosting the cave has faced significant alterations due to past irregular limestone mining activities. Although the mining has ceased, the cave is situated within a mining polygon with mining requirements, indicating the potential installation of a mining project in the coming years. Another concern is the expanding presence of nearby wind farms, known to have adverse effects on bat populations, which could indirectly impact cave environments ( Figure 13D View Figure 13 ).

Given that Apertar da Hora Cave represents the sole known habitat of P. jandairensis n. sp., and considering these potential impacts, the new species could be classified as Vulnerable according to criterion D2. Therefore, the initiation of monitoring programs is imperative to evaluate the conservation status of the cave and the remaining cave-restricted species it harbors.