Exalloniscus schmalfussi, Taiti & Cardoso, 2020

Exalloniscus schmalfussi View in CoL n. sp.

Figures 4-6, 22A urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Material examined

NEPAL: Holotype: ♂ ( SMNS), Terhathum / Dhankuuta District , Tinjura Dara , Chauki to Basantapur, 2550-2650 m a.s.l., deciduous forest, 18.IX.1983, leg. J. Martens and B. Daams. Paratypes: 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀ ( SMNS) , 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀ ( MZUF), same data as holotype .

Description

Maximum length: ♂ and ♀ 5.5 mm. Body oval, flattened and colourless ( Figures 4A, 22A). Dorsum covered with large triangular scale-setae ( Figure 4B). Cephalon ( Figure 4C, D) with lateral lobes with rounded apex, slightly protruding laterally; frontal line almost straight, suprantennal line bent down in middle; eyes with three ommatidia. Pereonites 1- 3 ( Figure 4A,E) with postero-lateral corners right-angled, pereonites 4-7 with postero-lateral corners directed backwards. Pleonites 3-5 with epimera falciform, protruding backwards. Telson triangular, wider than long, with slightly concave sides and rounded apex ( Figure 4F). Antennula ( Figure 4G) third article with six superimposed aesthetascs plus apical pair. Antenna ( Figure 4H) with fifth article of peduncle shorter than flagellum; ratio of flagellum joints 8:6:7. Mandibles ( Figure 5A,B) with molar penicil consisting of several plumose setae; right mandible with 1+1 penicils, left mandible with 2+1 penicils. Maxillula ( Figure 5C) outer branch with 5+6 (4 cleft) teeth and two setae on caudal surface; inner branch with two subequal penicils. Maxilla ( Figure 5D) with bilobed and setose distal part; inner lobe twice as wide as outer lobe; inner lobe with row of thick setae subapically. Maxilliped ( Figure 5E) with rectangular endite bearing penicil; palp basal article with two setae. Pereopods with flagelliform dactylar seta with fine setae at apex. Pereopod 1 carpus with transversal antennal grooming brush. Pereopod 7 ( Figure 6B) basis with distinct water conducting system. Uropod ( Figure 4F) exopod as long as endopod.

Male: Pereopod 1 and, to a lesser extent, 2 carpus with long strong setae on sternal margin ( Figure 6A). Pereopod 7 ( Figure 6B) with few strong setae on sternal margin, ischium sternal margin straight. Pleopod 1 ( Figure 6C) exopod triangular, longer than wide, with sinuous outer margin and rounded posterior point; endopod straight, with small rounded lobe on distal inner margin. Pleopod 2 ( Figure 6D) exopod triangular with few setae on outer margin; endopod flagelliform, longer than exopod. Pleopod 3-5 exopods ( Figure 6 E- G) triangular with few setae on outer margin.

Etymology

The new species is named after our colleague and friend Dr H. Schmalfuss, SMNS, for his studies on the systematics of Oniscidea on a global scale.

Remarks

The new species is characterized by colourless body, eyes with three ommatidia, male pleopod 1 with a triangular exopod and endopod with a small rounded distal lobe. A small distal lobe on the male pleopod 1 endopod is also present in Exalloniscus coecus (compare Figure 2D) but in that species the lobe is located on the distal outer, instead of inner, margin. Moreover, it differs from E. coecus in the presence of eyes, telson with slightly concave, instead of straight, sides, and male pleopod 1 exopod with rounded, instead of acute, distal point. Another species of Exalloniscus is known from Nepal, E. nepalensis . Exalloniscus schmalfussi n. sp. differs from E. nepalensis in having colourless body, male pleopod 1 exopod with wider distal point and endopod with distal part straight with a rounded inner lobe instead of bent outwards and pointed (compare fig. 9D in Taiti and Ferrara 1988).