New troglobitic species of Niambia from Botswana and Namibia (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea)

By

Monticelli Cardoso, Giovanna
Du Preez, Gerhard
Taiti, Stefano
Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

40

Pages

91--108

Subjects

Afrotropical region , Cave fauna , new species , Platyarthridae

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.40.72499

 

Abstract

Three new species in the genusNiambiaare described from southern African caves:N. botswanaensissp. nov.from Diviner’s Cave (Botswana),N. ghaubensissp. nov.from Ghaub Cave andN. namibiaensissp. nov.from Märchen Cave (Namibia). All these species show troglomorphic traits such as absence of body pigmentation and eyes. These are the first troglobitic species recorded in the genus. Most of the other species ofNiambiaare epigean and occur in semi-arid environments in the Afrotropical Region.