Testing the coded description
To test the proposed system, we describe five new species of the genusPararrhopalites Bonet & Tellez, 1947
(zoobank.org:pub:9ED865EA-F95A-4CBE-947C-3A5C6CD81907), from the Order
Symphypleona, using P. fallaciosus sp. n. , as the
explanatory example in the SEM overall morphologic analysis. First, we
describe P. fallaciosus sp. n ., where all the chaetal
fields are delimited, and the species is morphologically defined. The
character list is derived from this revision and presented in appendix
1. The final descriptions for the remaining new species will bring the
code only (Morphologic unit code).
Here we propose the coded description for Pararrhopalites , a
genus of Symphypleona, however, once fully established, the system must
be applicable to the Orders Poduromorpha and Entomobryomorpha as well.
Ideally a similar approach could be used to any other zoological taxa.
To proceed the segmental delimitation and definition, we addressed the
results from developmental biology (Hopkin 1997, Jura et al., 1987,
Tomizuka & Machida 2015), and the chaetal fields were defined using SEM
(Tescan Vegas III) to map the clusters of chaetae associated to
cuticular landmarks. Cephalic chaetotaxy, great abdomen chaetotaxy, and
small abdomen (abdominal segment VI) chaetotaxy followed the system
proposed by Betsch & Waller (1994) and Betsch (1997). For the
appendages, we followed Nayrolles (1988, 1990a, 1990b, 1991) for
antennae, legs and furcula; and tenaculum after Richards
(1968).
The chaetotaxic systems were used to verify the congruence of the
morphological landmarks and associated groups of chaetae which display
constant expression (i.e., chaetal fields). All chaetotaxic
information, the actual observed character condition, was described in
the character list, and coded accordingly (Appendix 1).
The descriptions are presented as a list of coded characters in the
descriptive plate of each newly described species. The exception is made
to P. fallaciosus sp. n. , where the morphologic units
are described in the matrix corresponding to the chaetotaxy system cited
above, as an example of what the observed features are (before coding).
The detailed chaetotaxy analysis for all the five species described here
is available in the supplementary material.