Three new species of the centipede Newportia Gervais, 1847 (Scolopendromorpha, Scolopocryptopidae, Newportiinae) from central South America, with remarks on the discovery of several lineages within Newportia (Tidops) balzanii Silvestri

Abstract

Although Newportia is the genus of Scolopendromorpha with the greatest species diversity in the Neotropics, its diversity may be underestimated in certain areas of Brazil, such as the Pantanal Mato-Grossense, Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado) and Atlantic Forest. In this study, based on morphological and molecular data, three new species of Newportia are described: N. (Newportia) chamberlini sp. n., Newportia (Newportia) asulcata sp. n., and the first troglobitic species of the subgenus Tidops, N. (Tidops) eleonorae sp. n. N. (Tidops) eleonorae sp. n. was not included in the molecular analyses due to issues with DNA sequencing. However, its troglomorphic traits—unique to troglobitic species of Newportia and the subgenus Tidops—unequivocally support its status as a new species. Species delimitation analysis based on the mitochondrial marker COI recovered three lineages within N. (Tidops) balzanii in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. Both N. (Newportia) chamberlini sp. n. and N. (Newportia) asulcata sp. n. are recovered as different species, the former from Mato Grosso, and the latter from Bahia, within the “Caatinga” biome, a xeric region transitioning into the Atlantic Forest, both from Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis under maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference depicts a polyphyletic Tidops, with Newportia balzanii split into two clades based on geographical distribution. N. chamberlini sp. n. and N. asulcata sp. n. are recovered as sister species of the traditionally named but invalid Scolopendrides. The results of this work indicate that the diversity of the genus is underestimated and demonstrate that molecular tools are useful for the recognition of different lineages within species.