Pandora is on Earth: new species of Eukoenenia (Palpigradi) emerging at risk of extinction

Abstract

In 2008 the change to the Brazilian legislation regarding the use of natural caves has caused an increase in the number of studies on environmental impacts involving caves. The legislation requires the classification of such environments according to their importance, and caves that are not classified highly may be irreversibly impacted. Thus, caves in rocks of high economic interest have been intensively sampled, which has resulted in the collection of several specimens of Palpigradi in them. The Iron Quadrangle (in Minas Gerais state) stands out among these areas as one the most important sources of iron ore in Brazil. Several palpigrades from this region are housed in collections: most of them belong to the edaphic species Eukoenenia ferratilis, and a small portion belong to new species that are morphologically quite distinct from E. ferratilis, with longer bodies and more elongated appendages, indicating the presence of troglomorphisms. Therefore, the present study aimed to describe three new troglobitic species of Eukoenenia, which can be distinguished morphometrically and by means of some qualitative characters. These descriptions are important for the preservation of the caves where they occur, since the presence of troglobitic species increases the relevance of the caves, which have been severely threatened by mining activities.