Desertoniscus taschkentensis ( Verhoeff, 1930 )

Kashani, Ghasem M. & Allspach, Andreas, 2012, Redescription of Desertoniscus taschkentensis (Verhoeff, 1930) and description of Desertoniscus schmalfussi n. sp. (Isopoda: Oniscidea), Zootaxa 3154, pp. 40-46 : 41-45

Desertoniscus taschkentensis ( Verhoeff, 1930)

( Figs 3 and 4 )

Protracheoniscus taschkentensis Verhoeff, 1930: 113 .– Borutzky, 1945: 170.– 1953: 19.

Material examined. Male, 4 mm, lectotype, here designated, in a garden near Tashkent under stones and plants, 8– 18 March?, leg. Zachvatkin, with micropreparation of appendages ( ZSM).

Two males, three adult females, seven juvenile females, one specimen glued on the paper, same data as for lectotype ( ZSM).

Two juvenile females, Turkestan, leg. Verhoeff (MNB 22636).

Diagnosis. Head with short lateral and well developed median lobes. Antenna short, slightly surpassing posterior margin of pereion-tergite I. Male pleopod exopodite I with short hind lobe and broadly truncate apex. Male pleopod endopodite I with a row of fine setae on the apex.

Redescription. Maximum length male 4.5mm; female 8 mm. Color pale brown. Body outline as in Fig. 3 A. Cephalon with short lateral lobes, frontal lobe well developed and rather rounded, without incision in median part ( Fig. 3 C). Antenna short, slightly surpassing the posterior margin of pereion tergite I; fifth article of peduncle as long as flagellum, with length:width ratio 4:1; flagellum with two articles, proximal article short and clubshaped, flagellar articles ratio 1:2.3 ( Fig. 3 E).

Pereion tergite I with rounded hind margin. Noduli laterales on pereionites 2 to 4 distinctly more distant from the lateral margins than those on pereionites 1 and 5 to 7 ( Fig. 3 B).

Telson triangular with slightly concave sides and rather pointed apex, surpassing uropod-protopodites but not reaching to the middle of uropod exopodites ( Fig. 3 D).

Pleopod exopodites I–V with monospiracular covered lungs.

Male: Pereiopod I carpus with several long trifid setae but not forming a brush ( Fig. 3 F). Pereiopod VII ischium with straight ventral margin; carpus with no ridge on dorsal margin ( Fig. 3 G).

Pleopod exopodite I with short and truncate hind lobe ( Fig. 4 B); pleopod endopodite I straight with apex equipped with a row of fine setae ( Fig. 4 A). Pleopod exopodite II as in Fig. 4 C.

Remarks. Despite the lack of large male specimens in the examined material (not more than 4.5 mm), this species differs from all the other species of Desertoniscus in the shape of cephalon, antenna and the male exopodite and endopodite of pleopod I.

Distribution. Turkestan; Tashkent.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Desertoniscus taschkentensis. A-D, paralectotype; E – F, lectotype. A, body outline; B, left side of pereion showing disposition of noduli laterals; C, cephalon and first pereonite; D, telson and uropods; E, antenna; F, pereiopod 1; G, pereiopod 7. Scale = 1 mm for A; 0.5 mm for B – D; 0.2 mm for E – G.

FIGURE 4. Desertoniscus taschkentensis, male. A, pleopod endopodite I; B, pleopod exopodite I; C, pleopod exopodite II. Scale = 0.2 mm.