From surface to caves: new species of Diploexochus Brandt, 1833 (Oniscidea, Armadillidae) from Colombia, with the description of the first troglobitic species

By

Borja-Arrieta, Ricardo
López-Orozco, Carlos
Carpio-Díaz, Yesenia M.
Gutiérrez, Miguel
Campos-Filho, Ivanklin Soares
Navas S., Gabriel R.
Bichuette, Maria Elina.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1223

Pages

263--288

Subjects

cave-dwelling , Colombian Caribbean , Neotropical , subterranean systems , Terrestrial isopods , tropical dry forest

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1223.133267

 

Abstract

Two new species of Diploexochus are described, Diploexochus caciquesp. nov. from Cerro Bañaderos in Hatonuevo, La Guajira, and Diploexochus troglobiussp. nov. from Roca Madre Cave, Toluviejo, Sucre, both from the Tropical Dry Forest (TDF) areas of the Colombian Caribbean. The latter represent the first troglobitic species of the genus. Moreover, based on specimens from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena (type locality), Venezillo brevispinis is placed into Diploexochus and an identification key for all species of the genus is given. The present work describes the first troglobitic species of the genus, and expand the knowledge of its distribution in northern South America.