Diploexochus cacique López-Orozco, Carpio-Díaz & Campos-Filho, 2025

Diploexochus cacique López-Orozco, Carpio-Díaz & Campos-Filho sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 B View Figure 8 , 13 B View Figure 13

Type material.

Colombia • 1 ♂, holotype, Cerro Bañaderos , Hatonuevo, La Guajira, 11°7'33.3"N, 72°47'6.9"W, 12. I. 2016, leg. M Gutierrez-Estrada, CBUC-CRU 350 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (parts in micropreparations), paratypes, same data as holotype, CBUDC-CRU 413 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀, paratypes, same data as holotype, CBUDC-CRU 414 GoogleMaps .

Description.

Maximum body length: male 8 mm, female 9 mm. Body outline as in Fig. 5 A View Figure 5 . Color dark brown with typical muscular insertions (Figs 8 B View Figure 8 , 13 B View Figure 13 ); upper portion of tubercles randomly depigmented; pereonite 1 epimera anterior corner, pereonites 2–7 paramedian portions, pereonites 3 and 4 epimera, and pleonites 3–5 epimera randomly depigmented. Endoantennal conglobation (Figs 5 A View Figure 5 , 8 B View Figure 8 , 13 B View Figure 13 ). Dorsum covered with large triangular tubercles, arranged as follows (Fig. 5 A, B View Figure 5 ): vertex of cephalon with 12 tubercles in three rows; pereonite 1 with 20 tubercles; pereonites 2–6 with 16 tubercles; pereonite 7 with 15 tubercles; pleonites 3–5 and telson with two paramedian tubercles. Pereonites 1–7 epimera with one line of noduli laterales per side inserted on outer surface of second tubercle of posterior row (Fig. 5 A View Figure 5 ). Dorsal surface with short and narrow semi-circular scale-setae (Fig. 5 C View Figure 5 ). Cephalon (Fig. 5 D – F View Figure 5 ) with frontal shield prominent, distinctly protruding above vertex; eyes with 20–21 ommatidia. Pereonites 1–7 epimera flattened and slightly directed outwards; pereonite 1 strongly grooved on lateral margin, inner lobe of schisma rounded, extending beyond posterior margin of outer lobe (Fig. 5 G, H View Figure 5 ), pereonite 2 with triangular and narrow ventral lobe directed outwards, not extending beyond posterior margin of epimera; pereonites 4–7 with oblique ventral ridge (Fig. 5 F – H View Figure 5 ). Pleonites 3–5 (Fig. 5 I, J View Figure 5 ) with epimera well developed, rectangular and slightly directed outwards. Telson (Fig. 5 I View Figure 5 ) with proximal part slightly broader than distal part, dorsum slightly depressed, distal margin straight. Antennula (Fig. 5 K View Figure 5 ) of three articles, proximal and distal articles subequal in length, distal article with four aesthetascs inserted sub-apically. Antenna (Fig. 5 L View Figure 5 ) short, not surpassing posterior margin of pereonite 1 when extended backwards; flagellum of two articles, distal article about twice as long as first bearing one row of two lateral aesthetascs. Mandibles with molar penicil semi-dichotomized; left mandible (Fig. 6 A View Figure 6 ) with 2 + 1 penicils, right mandible (Fig. 6 B View Figure 6 ) with 1 + 1 penicils. Maxillula (Fig. 6 C View Figure 6 ) inner endite with two stout penicils, distal margin bearing fringe of thin setae; outer endite of 4 + 6 teeth simple. Maxilla (Fig. 6 D View Figure 6 ) inner lobe rounded covered with thick setae; outer lobe rounded, three times as wide as inner lobe, covered with thin setae. Maxilliped (Fig. 6 E View Figure 6 ) basis rectangular bearing sparse setae; palp with two distinct setae on basal article; endite subrectangular, medial seta overpassing distal margin, distal margin bearing two setae. Pereopods 1–7 merus and carpus bearing setae on sternal margin, not sparse appearance; carpus 1 with distal setae cleft at apex; ungual seta and dactylar organ simple, both surpassing outer claw. Uropod (Fig. 6 F View Figure 6 ) protopod flattened, enlarged on basal part, distal part subrectangular, medial margin concave; exopod short inserted dorsally near medial margin bellow distinct lobe, lobe not extending beyond medial margin; endopod club-shaped bearing many short setae on distal part. Pleopods 1–5 exopods with monospiracular respiratory structures.

Male. Pereopods 1–7 (Fig. 7 A, B View Figure 7 ) without particular modifications. Genital papilla as in Fig. 9 C View Figure 9 . Pleopod 1 (Fig. 7 C View Figure 7 ) exopod triangular, as wide as long, outer and inner margin bearing many small setae, distal and proximal outer parts triangular; endopod about twice as long as exopod. Pleopod 2 (Fig. 7 D View Figure 7 ) exopod triangular, outer margin strongly concave bearing many setae; endopod slightly longer than exopod. Pleopod 3–5 exopods as in Fig. 7 E – G View Figure 7 .

Etymology.

The new species is named after the Vallenato music singer Diomedes Díaz Maestre, also known as “ El Cacique de la Junta ”.

Remarks.

Diploexochus cacique sp. nov. easily differs from the previously mentioned species in the pattern of the dorsal tubercles of the pleon and telson, the pereonites 1 and 2 epimera with ventral lobes surpassing the posterior margin of the epimera, and the club-shaped uropod endopod.

Natural history.

Specimens of Diploexochus cacique sp. nov. were collected on tree bark around the Luis Pablo Ojeda Cave (Bañaderos cave), Cerro Bañaderos, Hatonuevo, La Guajira (Fig. 8 B View Figure 8 ). The area where the D. cacique sp. nov. species is found is composed of TDF and is part of the Sierra de Bañadero integrated management district (DMI), a mountain system in the upper basin of the Camarones River in the department of La Guajira, which is connected to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Distribution.

This species is known only from the type locality at Cerro Bañaderos, Hatonuevo, La Guajira, which is included into a TDF area (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).