Nova espécie de Trichorhina Budde-Lund, 1908 com seis omatídeos (Isopoda: Oniscidea) para o nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

The “little garden tortoises”, belonging to the suborder Oniscidea, are one of the few crustaceans to have successfully populated the terrestrial environment, and this has happened through various physiological and behavioral modifications to give them resistance to the terrestrial environment. In nature, Oniscidea play a crucial role as detritivores, i.e. organisms that feed on decomposing organic matter. Dead leaves, animal remains and other detritus form the menu of these tireless recyclers, contributing to the cycling of nutrients in ecosystems. With a global diversity that includes more than 3,800 species, these organisms have a dorsally flattened morphology, segmented into head, thorax and abdomen. The widely distributed family Platyarthridae Verhoeff, 1949 comprises nine genera, of which Trichorhina Budde-Lund, 1908 stands out, with 90 species known internationally. The genus Trichorhina belongs to the Isopoda order and is made up of terrestrial crustacean species. The Platyarthridae family, which belongs to the Isopoda order, is made up of 152 species. Common morphological features include fan-shaped bristles on the body, eyes composed of up to 15 small omatids, and teeth with distinct conformities (simple, pectinate, bifurcated and even trifurcated) on the outer endite of the first maxilla. The aim of this study is, by analyzing each batch individually, to verify the correspondence between the information recorded on the labels and the specimens present in each batch, after analysis and comparisons with the other species of Trichorhina with six omatids belonging to the collection of terrestrial isopods of the Group of Taxonomic Studies in Oniscidea of Piauí - GETOPI-UESPI, verifying which are common to the other states of northeastern Brazil. The specimens were collected by the Taxonomic Studies Group on Oniscidea of Piauí - GETOPI/UESPI in the municipality of Picos - PI, preserved in 70% alcohol and classified into morphospecies. Two batches were examined, containing a total of 19 specimens with six omatids, the main focus of this research.