Mecochirus Germar, 1827 Mecochirus longimanatus ( Schlotheim, 1820 )

Genus Mecochirus Germar, 1827

TYPE SPECIES. — Macrourites longimanatus Schlotheim, 1820 , by subsequent designation of Woods (1927).

Mecochirus longimanatus ( Schlotheim, 1820) ( Fig. 8 View FIG )

STUDIED MATERIAL. — Charbonnier & Garassino (2012) listed 27 specimens including two specimens described as Mecochiria foresti by Secrétan (1968). We add a new specimen from Solnhofen (MNHN.F.A70929).

COMMENTS

We localized the type material of Mecochiria foresti Secrétan, 1968. She listed five syntypes but figured only two (MNHN.F. A33537 View Materials : Fig. 8A, B; A View Materials View FIG 33539: Fig. 8F, G View FIG ), which are dorsoventrally flattened. According to Förster (1971), these specimens show diagnostic characters of Mecochirus longimanatus , and Mecochiria is a junior synonym of Mecochirus . This view was followed by Schweitzer et al. (2010: 20), who, however, maintained Mecochirus foresti as a separate species. Our examination of the two syntypes did not evidence any significant morphological differences to distinguish two species. Hence, we consider M. foresti as a junior synonym of M. longimanatus .

Specimen MNHN.F.A70929 ( Fig. 8 View FIG C-E) arrived in the MNHN collections in December 1930, through Mr Gravigny, Charles Brongniart’s son-in-law. The carapace exhibits the typical cervical groove and the orbital and gastro-orbital carinae. P1 is very elongate and P2 shows a strong and stout propodus as described by Garassino & Schweigert (2006).

Infraorder POLYCHELIDA Scholtz & Richter, 1995