Arenopontia australis, (Chappuis, 1953) (Chappuis, 1953)

Sak, Serdar, Karaytuğ, Süphan & Huys, Rony, 2024, Review of Neoleptastacus Nicholls, 1945 (Harpacticoida, Arenopontiidae), including an updated key to species and proposal of Phreatipontia gen. nov., Zootaxa 5525 (1), pp. 1-66 : 8-9

(3) australis -group

Diagnosis. Anal somite without paired dorsolateral processes. Anal operculum weakly developed, without rounded medial extension. P1 exp-1 with outer spine; exp-3 with four setae/spines. P1 enp-2 with outer spine and inner geniculate seta distally. P2 exp-2 with outer spine of normal length (not extending far beyond distal margin of exp-3). P2 endopod 2-segmented; enp-2 with inner seta and two distal spines. P3 endopod 1-segmented; with one distal spine. P4 enp-2 with normally developed outer seta.

Species included. N. australis ( Chappuis, 1953) .

This species group includes one incompletely described African species which does not fit comfortably in either the spinicaudatus - or trisetosus -groups defined herein. The reduced armature on the P3 endopod (one apical element on the distal segment) is not exclusive to N. australis ( Table 2 ). More information is required before any statement can be made about its relationships, particularly whether it may be nested as an advanced member in the spinicaudatus -group.