Niphargus rhodi Karaman S., 1950

Ntakis, Alexandros, Karaouzas, Ioannis, Fišer, Cene & Stoch, Fabio, 2020, An annotated checklist of the Niphargidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) of Greece, Zootaxa 4772 (3), pp. 517-544 : 532-533

Niphargus rhodi Karaman S., 1950

Published records: Karaman S. (1950); Pesce G.L. & Maggi D. (1983) ; Karaman G.S. (2017c).

Distribution: Endemic to Greece: Rhodos Island (EA).

Type material: Holotype: female 7.0 mm -688 (incl. 2 slides No. 688/1, 688/2) = “Monte Propheta, spring Nimpha, Rhodos Island, Greece ”, 02.06.1937, (leg. H. Stadler) Karaman G.S. (2017c). Examined material: S-7385 (No.11). Spring-brook of the river Gaidouras, 1.5 km W of Apollona; slowly running, clear water; pebbles, decomposed leaves; temp. 15.7 °C; pH 6.5; Cl 28 mg /l, 12.3; Ca ++ 78.5 mg /l; 12.03.1973, 18 exp. (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); No. 4. Stream alongside the road Kallithie-Afantou, 1 km S of Kallithie (16 km S of Rhodos city), slowly running, oligosaprobe to alpha-mesosaprobe, coarse gravel bottom, depth 0–5 cm, width 100–125 cm, pH 6.5–7; Cl 48 mg /l; Ca ++ 66.3 mg /l, temp. 16.2°C, 14.03.1973, 3 exp. (leg. J.Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); No. 5. Small limnocrene springs on the left bank of the river Loutani, near the mouth of a small affluent named brook of Epta Piges ( SW of the village Afantou), slightly thermal (17.4°C), pebbles, loam, decomposed leaves; depth 0–10 cm, width 0–10 cm, pH 6.0; Cl 25 Mg/l; Ca ++ 68.7 mg /l, 12.03.1973, 5 exp. (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); one female S-5460 (No. 6). The Seven Springs (Epta Piges), in the Loutani river valley, gravel, tree roots, slightly loamy, depth 10-20 cm, width 0-50 cm, temp. 16.8°C, pH 6.0, Cl 24 mg /l, Ca ++ 45.0 mg/l, 10.03.1973, 5 exp. (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); one female, No. 7. Captured well (fountain) on the left bank of the river Loutani, upstream of Epta Piges, dimensions of concrete basin 60 x 30 cm, depth 10 cm; slowly running, clear, bottom with decomposed leaves and loam, temp. 17.1°C, pH 6.5, Cl 28 mg /l, Ca ++ 53.7 mg, 12.03.1973, (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); No. 9. Captured well, marked “1951” on the S side of the road Genadion- Vation, 2 km SW of Genadion, dimensions of concrete basin 130x 40cm, depth 0–10cm, oligosaprobe, bottom muddy with some pebbles, Chara , temp. 18.4°C, pH 6.0, Cl 139 mg /l, Ca ++ 43.7 mg /l, 15.03.1973, 9 exp. (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); No. 10. Captured well alongside the road Salakos- Embonas, near the side-way to Ag. Issidoros (= 3 km N of Embonas), dimensions of concrete basin 80 x 30 cm, depth 30 cm; muddy, stones, alpha- to beta-mesosaprobe, 12.03.1973, 2 exp. (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); No. 13. Nameless stream, near small cascade alongside the road Platania- Apollona, just past the side-way to Laerma (= 1 km E of Apollona), slowly running, oligosaprobe, boulders, gravel, Taxus leaves, temp. 15.5°C, pH 6.0, Cl 49 mg /l, Ca ++ 133.5 mg /l, 12.03.1973, 25 exp. (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); No. 14. Upper course of the river Plati, 0.5 km N of Dimilia (= 36 km SW of Rhodos City), moderately running, oligosaprobe stream, bottom gravel (particles diameter 0.5-5cm) and some loam, depth 10–40 cm, width 100–150 cm, temp. 15.8°C, pH 6.5-7, Cl 34 mg /l, Ca ++ 77.5 mg /l, 15.03.1973, 8 exp. (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); one female, No. 15. Cemented well (fountain) just E of the village Psinthos (alongside the road Psinthos- Archipolis) (= 9.5 km W of the Afantou), slowly running, oligosaprobe, gravel and sand, temp. 18.6°C, pH 6.5, Cl 25 mg /l, Ca ++ 77.0 mg/l, 11.03.1973, (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); No. 16. Cemented well marked “D 1963” N of the road Painthos- Petaloudes (= 24 km SW of Rhodos City), dimensions of basin 800 x 40 cm; depth 30 cm, slowly to moderately running, oligosaprobe, bottom with one stone, and some filamentous algae, temp. 16.0°C, pH 6.0, Cl 22 mg /l, Ca ++ 114 mg /l, 16.03.1973, 25 exp. (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); one female, No. 17. Affluent of Plati River system at Petaloudes (= Butterfly Valley, 25 km SW of Rhodos-city), depth 10–40 cm, width 10–150 cm, slowly to moderately running, oligosaprobe, bottom pebbles and fallen leaves, temp. 15.9°C, pH 6.0, 16.03.1973, (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); No. 18. Nameless stream SW of Damatria, crossing the road Paradission- Psinthos, depth 0–20 cm (up to 50 cm), width 700 cm, bottom gravel, slightly loamy, temp. 16.5°C, pH 7.0, Cl 50 mg /l, Ca ++ 68.5 mg /l, 11.03.1973, 8 exp. (leg. J. Stock) Karaman G.S. (2017c); G-6450= Mandriko, well, June 1981, one exp. (leg. G. Pesce) Karaman G.S. (2017c); S-6451= Tolos, June 1981, one exp. (leg. G. Pesce) Karaman G.S. (2017c); one male 5.0 mm, two juv., S-6452= airport, Rhodos island, June 1981, (leg. G. Pesce) Karaman G.S. (2017c); two females, S-6454= Kalavarda, June 1981, (leg. G. Pesce) Karaman G.S. (2017c); S-6458= Soron, June 1981, one exp. (leg. G. Pesce) Karaman G.S. (2017c); one juv., S-6459= “[R-8], Rhodos island”, June 1981, (leg. G. Pesce) Karaman G.S. (2017c); male 5.8 mm, S-6460= “[R-6] Rhodos island”, June 1981, (leg. G. Pesce) Karaman G.S. (2017c); male 4 mm, R-5= 2 km SW of Laerma, 210 m a.s.l., 06.05.1975, (leg. H. Malicky) Karaman G.S. (2017c); R-6= 4 km SW of Laerma, 220 m a.s.l., 2 exp. damaged (leg. H. Malicky) Karaman G.S. (2017c).G. 250 Rhodos, road from Rhodos to Kamiros (north coast), depth 5.5 m, alt. 2.5 m, water temp. 15.5°C, air temp. 16.5°C, pH 7.0, substrate: fine sand, 02.06.1981, Pesce & Maggi (1983); G. 251 Rhodos, road from Rhodos to Kamiros, crossroad of Tolos, depth 4.5 m, alt. 0.8m, water temp. 15.5°C, air temp. 16.5°C, pH 6.9, substrate: coarse sand, 03.06.1981, Pesce & Maggi (1983); G. 253 Rhodos, road from Fanes to Kalavarda, depth 6.5m, alt. 2.5 m, water temp. 13.2°C, air temp. 17.9°C, pH 7.0, substrate: vegetation detriments, 03.06.1981, Pesce & Maggi (1983); G254/255 Rhodos, road from Kamiros to Mandriko, about 5 km from Mandriko, 2 wells, depth 4.5–5.5 m, alt. 0.5 m, water temp. 15.3°C, air temp. 18.0°C, pH 7.0, substrate: vegetation detriments, 03.06.1981, Pesce & Maggi (1983); G. 258 Rhodos, road from Petaloudes to Rhodos, crossroad of Damatia, depth 5.0 m, alt. 4.0 m, water temp. 16.1°C, air temp. 17.9°C, pH 7.1, coarse vegetation and animal detriments, 03.06.1981, Pesce & Maggi (1983); G. 259 Rhodos, Kremasti, airport, depth 7.5 m, alt. 4.5 m, water temp. 14.9°C, air temp. 17.9°C, pH 6.9, vegetation detriments, 03.06.1981, Pesce & Maggi (1983); G. 260 Rhodos, south coast, thermae on road from Rhodos to Kalithea, depth 9.0 m, alt. 2.5 m, water temp. 14.5°C, air temp. 18.0°C, pH 7.0, vegetation detriments, 04.06.1981, Pesce & Maggi (1983);G. 261 Rhodos, Haraki, spring close to the sea, depth 0.2 m, alt. 0.2 m, water temp. 18.1°C, air temp. 18.5°C, pH 7.2, coarse vegetation detriments, 04.06.1981, Pesce & Maggi (1983).

Remarks: N. rhodi shares the type locality with N pararhodi increasing the number of Niphargus on the island to two. Karaman S. (1950) described the species based one single female, while Karaman G.S. (2017c) redescribed it using the original specimen and a juvenile male. It is unclear whether N. rhodi and N. pararhodi are valid species, given that N. rhodi and N. pararhodi are described upon a single female and a single male, respectively (Karaman G.S. 2017c, 2018).

Etymology: The species is named after Rhodos Island, where it was found.