Research Article |
Corresponding author: Leonardo D. Fernández ( limnoleo@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Martin Husemann
© 2024 Andrés O. Porta, Antonio Parra-Gómez, Dante Poy, Gaston Kreps, Roy Mackenzie, Guillermo Martínez Pastur, Leonardo D. Fernández.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Porta AO, Parra-Gómez A, Poy D, Kreps G, Mackenzie R, Martínez Pastur G, Fernandez LD (2024) The southernmost record for a symphylan: Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov. (Myriapoda, Scutigerellidae), an inhabitant of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(4): 1569-1584. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.133632
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A new species of Symphyla, Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov., is described from specimens collected during expeditions to the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, including Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and Isla de los Estados in Argentina, as well as Isla Navarino in Chile. To the best of our knowledge, this new species represents the southernmost record for a myriapod of the class Symphyla. The morphological affinities of this species with other Hanseniella species from Gondwanan landmasses are discussed, highlighting its potential for studying the impact of the last Quaternary glaciation on soil arthropods in the far south of the continent. This discovery provides important insights into the biogeographic and evolutionary history of soil arthropods in these remote and climatically challenging regions. H. guerreroi sp. nov. is an exemplary species adapted to the harsh environmental conditions of subantarctic ecosystems and contributes significantly to our understanding of biodiversity and ecological dynamics in such challenging habitats.
Dientes de Navarino, garden centipede, Myriapoda, Navarino Island, Nothofagus forests, soil-dwelling arthropod, symphylans, Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego
Symphylans, or garden centipedes, are small, soil-dwelling arthropods that belong to the subphylum Myriapoda and the class Symphyla (
Argentina and Chile, two neighboring countries in southern South America, are known for their outstanding biodiversity and high rates of endemism of plants, animals, and microbes (
The symphylan diversity of Argentina and Chile is probably much higher than currently known but remains underestimated because no major sampling effort has ever been made to study them. Argentina and Chile have historically lacked Symphyla specialists (
The first records of symphylans in Argentina and Chile were documented by Attems in 1897.
More than a century after Attems’ pioneering study, we undertook field expeditions to investigate the arthropod biodiversity of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. On this archipelago we found a new symphylan species of the genus Hanseniella that may correspond to the taxon originally observed by Attems in 1897. To our knowledge, this new species represents the southernmost record for a myriapod of the class Symphyla. Here we describe this species and discuss the similarities between this new species found in the remote, southern islands of Argentina and Chile and other species of the genus Hanseniella. We also highlight its significance for studying the effects of the Last Glacial Maximum on the soil mesofauna of extreme southern South America.
The specimens were collected on Argentinean and Chilean islands of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago (for details see subsection Type material) during three field expeditions conducted by the Myriapodological Collection of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” (MACN), the Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), Argentina and the Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), Chile.
Specimens from the Argentine expeditions were cleared with lactic acid for observation in an open chamber or mounted on slides with Hoyer’s medium and examined and measured using an Olympus CH-2 or Wild Heerbrugg M11 compound microscope with phase contrast. For scanning electron microscopy (SEM), specimens were dehydrated through a series of ethanol solutions of increasing concentration in absolute hexamethyldisilazane (
Specimens collected from Isla Navarino, Chile, were mounted on concave glycerol-filled slides and examined using an N-200M microscope. Two specimens were mounted on copper adhesive tape and dehydrated using a Hitachi HCP-2 critical point dryer. They were then coated with gold and palladium on a Leica EM ACE200 and imaged with a Zeiss EVO M10 SEM at 20 kV. All specimens from both countries are preserved in 80% ethanol.
Descriptions and terminology follow Scheller’s descriptions (e.g.,
Scutigelleridae Bagnall, 1913
Hanseniella Bagnall, 1913
Holotype
, male (
The specific name is a patronymic in honor of Federico Guerrero, captain of the boat “Ocean Tramp,” in recognition of her fundamental contribution to the organization, logistics, and success of the MACN- CADIC 2014 expedition to Península Mitre and Isla de los Estados.
H. audax Clark & Greenslade, 1996 differs from H. guerreroi sp. nov. by a greater length (8.7 mm), longer setae on the tergites, both claws of 12 pairs of similar size, and by the morphology of the cerci; H. conveniens Clark & Greenslade, 1996 differs by the chaetotaxy and morphology of the cerci; H. insequens Clark & Greenslade, 1996 differs by the dorsum of the head with fine pubescence; H. madecassa Aubry & Masson, 1953 differs by the chaetotaxy of the first tergite and the apical antennomere with only 2 spined organs; H. mutila, Adam & Burtel, 1956 differs by the central rod of the head well-marked behind the ovoid knob, where it is produced forward into 2 lateral branches, claws of leg 12 being of similar size, and by the distribution of the outgrowths (microsetae) in the tergites; H. nivea (Scopoli, 1763) differs by the shape of the central rod of the head, the chaetotaxy of the first tergite, and by the relative size of the claws of the 12th leg pair; H. pluvialis Clark & Greenslade, 1996 differs by the claws of leg 12 of similar size and the tergal setae being more elongated and of different size; H. proxima Adam & Burtel, 1956 differs by the central rod of the head well marked behind the ovoid knob, where it is produced forward into 2 lateral branches and 2 branches delimiting an indistinct posterior area, leg 12 with an elongated anterior seta, and by the first tergite with 2+2 setae; H. pyrethrata Clark & Greenslade, 1996, by the cuticle on the posterior part of tergites glabrous and the apical antennomere with only one terminal spined organ; H. vulgata Adam & Burtel, 1956 differs by the central rod of the head well-marked before the ovoid knob and behind this where it is produced into 2 branches which delimit a posterior area, the presence of additional setae on the styli (particularly in leg 12), and by the different chaetotaxy on the cerci.
Length of body (Fig.
Head
(Fig.
Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov. A. Paratype (
Antennae
(Fig.
Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov., antenna. A. Paratype (
Tergites
(Figs
Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov. A. Paratype (
Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov. A. Paratype (
Ventral surface. Mainly covered by microsetae born from small knobs, last segment surface with longer pubescence born at the posterior end of scale-like cuticular structures. Male genital segment (Fig.
Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov. A. Male paratype (
Coxal sacs. Typical for the genus, fully developed at bases of legs 3–9, usually bearing 7–10 setae (Fig.
Male organs. Genital opening (Fig.
Legs
(Figs
Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov., leg 12. A. Paratype (
Styli. 3.2 (2.5–3.8) longer than wide, with 2 terminal setae, the larger 2.14 (1.71–2.33) longer than the shorter. On 12 leg well developed, elongated, 3.3 (2.91–4) × longer than wide, their length 1.42 (1.1–1.5) of the width of tarsus and densely covered with a short pubescence, basally glabrous; with 2 apical setae, the longer 1.5 (1.4–2.66) longer than the other, and 0.53 (0.33–0.57) the length of the stylus (Fig.
Sense calicles. Typical for the genus (
Cerci
(Fig.
Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov., cerci. A. Paratype (
We found this species on three islands of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, which is divided between Argentina and Chile. On the Argentinean side, we found it in the south of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and in the Isla de Los Estados. On the Chilean side, we found it on the Isla Navarino, one of the southernmost islands of the archipelago. This species seems to be common in the Argentinean islands explored, but less common in Navarino.
H. guerreroi inhabits the Nothofagus forests of the Argentine and Chilean parts of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago (Fig.
A. Collecting localities of Hanseniella guerreroi sp. nov.; B. Type locality, Río Irigoyen, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, forest environment dominated by N. pumilio (Poepp. & Endl.) Krasser 1896 (Fagales: Nothofagaceae); C. Puerto Cook, Isla de los Estados, Argentina, panoramic view; D. Navarino Island, Chile (in the background is the Dientes de Navarino mountain range), panoramic view.
Twelve species of the genus Hanseniella have macrochaetae on tergites 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 13, putatively on 12, but not on 5, 8, 11, and 14 (
In this study, we have described a new species of Symphyla, H. guerreroi sp. nov. We have recorded this species on islands of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, which is divided between Argentina and Chile. On the Argentine side, we found it in the south of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and Isla de Los Estados. On the Chilean side, we found it on Navarino Island, one of the southernmost islands of the archipelago. To our knowledge, H. guerreroi sp. nov. represents the southernmost record ever reported for a myriapod of the class Symphyla.
The new species, H. guerreroi sp. nov., shows interesting relationships with its congeners; nine of the eleven species that share a similar macrochaetotaxy are distributed on other Gondwanan landmasses, such as Tasmania (six species) and New Zealand (three species). It is well known that many of the endemic taxa from the southern end of the South American continent are phylogenetically more closely related to other taxa from other Gondwanan regions than to the rest of South America (e.g.,
Symphyla are a diverse and abundant taxon in tropical and temperate climates (
H. guerreroi sp. nov. may be an exception to the tropical and temperate niche conservatism, and so it is an excellent model organism to study the role of the LGM on the diversity and distribution of arthropods of the southern tip of South America. For instance, it might be useful for testing phylogeographical hypotheses on myriapods and other arthropods. In fact, phylogeographical studies regarding Argentine and Chilean arthropods are very scarce and do not consider taxa from the southern tip of the continent (e.g.,
We wish to thank, particularly, the Argentine Navy personnel in Puerto Parry and Bahía Buen Suceso stations for their fundamental assistance during the collecting trips. Dr. Miguel Domínguez Camacho, Dr. Luis Pereira (MLP), and Bibl. Roberto Uguet (INTA-Castelar) for providing bibliographic materials. Field work in Argentina was supported by Foncyt grant PICT-2015-0283 to Martín J. Ramírez. Finally, both expeditions in Argentina were possible only because of the constant support of Federico Guerrero and Laura Smith of “Quijote Expeditions.” L.D. Fernández and the expedition to Isla Navarino, located in the southern part of the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, Chile, were funded by the ANID FONDECYT 1220605 project. R. Mackenzie thanks the support of the ANID/BASAL FB210018 y ANID – Millennium Science Initiative Program – ICN2021_002. L.D. Fernández and Roy Mackenzie thank Javier Estay (Wild Navarino Tourism Agency) and the “Watamericonsu” research team for their support during the fieldwork on Navarino Island, Chile. A.O. Porta thanks Ivan Fiorini de Magalhaes (MACN-Conicet) for his support during the collecting trip on Staten Island, Argentina. Valuable edits that helped improve this study were provided by Miguel Domínguez Camacho and Christopher James Dourte. Special thanks go to Martin Husemann, the subject editor, for his valuable assistance with this manuscript.