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.