Abstract
A new troglobitic species of the genus Circoniscus is described from Brazil. Circoniscus boitata sp. nov. is the first troglobitic species of the genus reported from Southeastern Brazil and is found in two caves within the Cavernas do Peruaçu National Park, in Minas Gerais state. Additionally, we provide the first identification key for the troglobitic species of Circoniscus, along with electron micrographs and ecological notes on the species and the conservation status of its habitat.
References
- Ab’Saber, A.N. (1977) Os Domínios Morfoclimáticos na América do Sul. Geomorfologia, 52, 1–21.
- Arcangeli, A. (1931) Circoniscus bezzii Arc., nuova specie di isopodo terrestre del Brasile. Bollettino di Zoologia, 2, 115–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003109434856
- Arcangeli, A. (1936) Un genere e due specie nuovi di isopodi terrestri del Brasile. Archivio Zoologico Italiano, 23, 201–208.
- Boyko, C.B., Campos-Filho, I.S., Hadfield, K.A., Hughes, T., Merrin, K.L., Ota, Y. & Poore, G.C.B. (Eds.) (2025) World Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans database. Circoniscus Pearse, 1917. Available from: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=248615 (accessed 09 September 2025)
- Campos-Filho, I.S. & Araujo, P.B. (2011) Two new troglobitic species of Scleropactidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) from Pará, Brazil. Nauplius, 19, 27–39. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-64972011000100004
- Campos-Filho, I.S., Montesanto, G., Araujo, P.B. & Taiti, S. (2017) New species and new records of terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) from Brazil. Iheringia, Série Zoologia, 107, e2017034. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4766e2017034
- Campos-Filho, I.S., Cardoso, G.M. & Aguiar, J.O. (2018) Catalogue of terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) from Brazil: an update with some considerations. Nauplius, 26, e2018038. https://doi.org/10.1590/2358-2936e2018038
- Campos-Filho, I.S., Sfenthourakis, S., Gallo, J.S., Gallão, J.E., Torres, D.F., Chagas-Jr, A., Horta, L., Carpio-Díaz, Y.M., López-Orozco, C.M., Borja-Arrieta, R., Araujo, P.B., Taiti, S. & Bichuette, M.E. (2023) Shedding light into Brazilian subterranean isopods (Isopoda, Oniscidea): expanding distribution data and describing new taxa. Zoosystema, 45 (19), 531–599. https://doi.org/10.5252/zoosystema2023v45a19
- Galo, J.B., Cardoso, G.M. & Ferreira, R.L. (2025) In the depths of the Amazon rainforest: a new troglobitic species of Circoniscus (Isopoda: Scleropactidae) from Brazil. Nauplius, 33, e20250545. https://doi.org/10.1590/2358-2936e20250545
- IBAMA (2004) Plano de Manejo do Parque Nacional Cavernas do Peruaçu - MG. Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis Ekos Brasil, São Paulo. [unknown pagination]
- López-Orozco, C.M., Campos-Filho, I.S., Gallo, J.S., Gallão, J.E., Carpio-Díaz, Y.M., Borja-Arrieta, R. & Bichuette, M.E. (2024) Iron-isopods: new records and new species of terrestrial isopods (Isopoda, Oniscidea) from Brazilian Amazon iron ore caves. European Journal of Taxonomy, 921, 116–135. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2024.921.2421
- Montesanto, G. (2015) A fast GNU method to draw accurate scientific illustrations for taxonomy. Zookeys, 515, 191–206. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.515.9459
- Montesanto, G. (2016) Drawing setae: a GNU way for digital scientific illustrations. Nauplius, 24, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1590/2358-2936e2016017
- Pearse, A. (1917) Isopoda collected by the Bryant Walker Expedition to British Guiana, with notes on Crustacea from other localities. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology of University of Michigan, 46, 1–8.
- Schmidt, C. (2007) Revision of the Neotropical Scleropactidae (Crustacea: Oniscidea). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 151 (Supplement 1), 1–339. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2007.00286.x
- Souza, L.A. & Lemos de Castro, A. (1991) The genus Circoniscus Pearse 1917 in Brazil, with description of three new species (Isopoda Oniscidea Scleropactidae). Tropical Zoology, 4, 45–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/03946975.1991.10539474
- Souza, L.A., Bezerra, A.V. & Araújo, J.P. (2006) The first troglobitic species of Scleropactidae from Brazil (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea). Subterranean Biology, 4, 37–43.
- Velloso, A.L., Sampaio, E.V.S.B. & Pareyn, F.G.C. (2002) Ecorregiões - Propostas para o bioma caatinga. In: Pareyn, F.G.C. (Eds.), The Nature Conservancy do Brasil. Associação Plantas do Nordeste/Instituto de Conservação Ambiental, Recife/Brasilia, 75 pp.
- Verhoeff, K.W. (1938) Weltstellung der Isopoda terrestria, neue Familien derselben und ein neues System. Zoologische Jahrbücher, Abteilung für Systematik, Ökologie und Geographie der Tiere, 71 (3), 253–264.
- Verhoeff, K.W. (1941) Über eine neue südamerikanische Gattung der Isopoda terrestria. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 134, 169–173.
- Wynne, J.J., Howarth, F.G., Sommer, S. & Dickson, B.G. (2019) Fifty years of cave arthropod sampling: techniques and best practices. International Journal of Speleology, 48 (1), 33–48. https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.48.1.2231
