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| Whittencampa troglobia
Sendra & Deharveng, 2020
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Abstract
Whittencampa troglobia, new genus and new species, is a highly troglomorphic Diplura of the Plusiocampinae subfamily described from Lian Hua Dong Cave in southern China. Whittencampa belongs to the Plusiocampinae subfamily, which is widely distributed in the European region, but also has four species in China. Whittencampa is characterised by its thick setiform pretarsal processes completely covered with long barbs with a tiny hooked tip. Whittencampa shares important features with other members of the subfamily, in particular the distribution pattern of notal, femoral and abdominal macrosetae, including the presence of an isolated pair of macrosetae on the eighth urosternite; the last trait characterises the Chinese Plusiocampinae. Scanning electron microscopy reveals new features for this subfamily such as the large subtriangular ending of the neuroglandular setae on the labial palps, the epidermal glands on the labial palps and the bifurcated or double sac ending of the eversible abdominal vesicles. Whittencampa troglobia has remarkable troglomorphic traits: the most elongated antennae, and the largest number of antennomeres (56) among Plusiocampinae, and cerci up to 2.3 times longer than the body. It lives with other highly troglomorphic arthropods at the type locality, Lian Hua Dong, and provides additional evidence that southern China is one of the major biodiversity world hotspots for subterranean fauna.
Key words: subterranean fauna, East Asia, Whittencampa troglobia, troglomorphy
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| Figs. 21–24. 21. Habitus of Whittencampa troglobia, new species. 22, Distribution map of troglomorphic cave Campodeidae in China: (1) Whittencampa troglobia, Lian Hua Dong near Du’an (Guangxi); (2) Plusiocampa lipsae, Grotte des Quatre Porches near Yishang (Hubei); (3) Whittencampa cf. troglobia, Ji Dong near Huanjiang (Guangxi); (4) Campodeidae sp., Yan Wu Dong near Leye (Guangxi). 23, Microhabitat of W. troglobia in Lian Hua Dong cave, with specimens around small pools (in white dotted circles). 24, Well decorated passage in Lian Hua Dong cave. |
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| Fig. 1. Whittencampa troglobia, new species; habitus. Scale bar = 3 mm. |
SYSTEMATICS
Class Hexapoda Blainville, 1816Order Diplura Börner, 1904
Suborder Rhabdura Cook, 1896
Family Campodeidae Lubbock, 1873
Subfamily Plusiocampinae Paclt, 1957
Whittencampa, new genus
Type species. Whittencampa troglobia, new species.
Etymology. Whittencampa is named in honour of Tony Whitten, who passed away in November 2017. Tony was an enthusiastic initiator and efficient facilitator of biospeological expeditions in China, which allowed the discovery of this new genus, among many other remarkable taxa. Gender: feminine.
Diagnosis. On pronotum 1+1 ma, 1+1 la4 and 2+2 lp1,3, on meso- and metanotum 1+1 ma, 1+1 la, and 2+2 lp2,3 (Figs. 1–3); two dorsal femoral macrosetae; without tibial macrosetae; unequal claws with lateral-crests (Figs. 12, 13); two thick setiform pretarsal processes completely covered with long barbs (Figs. 12, 13, 15); male and female without glandular field on the posterior part of the first urosternite; first urosternite of male with large subcylindrical appendages with conical ending and carrying long glandular a1 and a2 setae (Figs. 16, 17); female with small subcylindrical appendages with concal ending on first urosternite, with long glandular a1 setae; sac of eversible vesicles with double ending (Figs. 18, 19); 1+1 post urotergal macrosetae on III– IV, 4+4 post on V–VII, 5+5 post on VIII and 7+7 post on IX; 13+13–10+10 macrosetae on urosternite I, 5+5 on II– VII and 1+1 macrosetae on VIII (Fig. 20); large subtriangular ending of neuroglandular setae and epidermal glands on labial palps (Figs. 5–10, under SEM magnification); dense barbs on macrosetae on abdominal sternites, legs and calcars (Fig. 11); glandular a1 and a2 setae long and slender (Fig. 17).
Whittencampa troglobia, new species
Etymology. The epithet emphasises the ecology of the new species, strictly linked to subterranean habitats (from the greek trogle (τρωγλη), which means hole.
Alberto Sendra and Louis Deharveng. 2020. Whittencampa troglobia, A New Genus and Species of Troglomorphic Plusiocampinae from China (Diplura: Campodeidae). RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. Supplement No. 35; 68-77.
