Arenopontia? gussoae Cottarelli, 1973a sensu Mielke (1982b) [partim]

Original description. Mielke (1982b: 203; Figs 6B; 7E) [Playa Nueva Gorgona]. Mielke (1982b: 204) [Playa Avenida Balboa].

Body length. 360 μm (♀), 300 μm (♂) [Playa Nueva Gorgona material]; 360 μm (♀) [Playa Avenida Balboa material] (Mielke 1982b).

Remarks. In addition to the material from Isla Melones (here treated as N. abbreviatus sp. nov. —see above), Mielke (1982b) also reported “ Arenopontia? gussoae ” from two other localities along the Pacific seaboard of Panamá. Compared to N. abbreviatus sp. nov., the specimens (3 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂) from Playa Nueva Gorgona (PNG) display a number of differences: (1) rostrum not tapered to the same extent, (2) P4 exp-2 relatively stouter and exp-3 shorter, (3) inner spinous process of P5 with weak contours, (4) paired lateral spinous processes on anal somite pointed, and (5) caudal rami more square than rectangular. A single female from Playa Avenida Balboa agreed with the PNG material in the morphology of the rostrum, P5 and caudal rami but exhibited a P4 exp-3 that is stouter. It is unlikely that either population belongs to N. abbreviatus sp. nov. Pending the arrival of new morphological data based on a larger set of specimens both remain as taxa of uncertain status.

Martínez Arbizu & Moura (1994) reported A.? gussoae from Isla Margarita in Venezuela (Nueva Esparta State) and from Lima (Playa S. Bartolo) in Peru but did not make any morphological comparisons.