Foweya Gee, 2006

Huys, Rony & Mu, Fanghong, 2021, Johnwellsia, a new intertidal genus of Parastenheliidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from the Taiwan Strait, China, including a review of the family and key to genera, Zootaxa 5051 (1), pp. 236-318 : 293-294

Foweya Gee, 2006

Gee (2006) recognized the close resemblance between Parastenhelia anglica and Karllangia tertia and removed both species from their respective genera and placed them in a newly proposed genus Foweya . Both Foweya anglica ( Norman & Scott, 1905) and F. tertia ( Kunz, 1975) exhibit the narrowing of the outer cuticle of P1 enp-1 at around the insertion level of the inner seta (shared with Thalestrella and Psammoleptomesochra ), the bifid, sexually dimorphic inner spine on the P1 basis in the male (shared with Paraleptomesochra and Psammoleptomesochra ), the 10-segmented male antennule with only three segments distal to the articulation, the absence of sexual dimorphism in the endopod of P3 (shared with Thalestrella , Paraleptomesochra and Psammoleptomesochra ), and the most primitive swimming leg armature formula within the family, including two inner setae on P2 exp-3 and enp-3 and three inner setae on P3 enp-3. Gee (2006) confirmed that the specimens, previously identified as Parastenhelia anglica from St. Agnes, St. Mary’s and Tresco (Isles of Scilly) by Wells (1961, 1970) and from Namibia by Kunz (1963), are conspecific with Thalestrella ornatissima (type locality: Roscoff, Brittany), and Foweya tertia (type locality: Eastern Cape, South Africa), respectively.

Males of the two known Foweya species can be differentiated by the segmentation of the P2 endopod (3- segmented in F. anglica , 2-segmented in F. tertia ) and the morphology of the fifth legs (with five exopodal setae in F. tertia vs six in F. anglica ; endopodal lobe relatively weakly developed and both setae equally long in F. tertia vs well developed lobe and outer endopodal seta distinctly longer than inner one in F. anglica ). Females (and males) can be distinguished by the ornamentation of the anal operculum (with approximately 30 small, closely set denticles in F. anglica vs numerous very fine spinules in F. tertia ).

Diagnosis. Parastenheliidae . Sexual dimorphism in antennule, P1 inner basal spine, P5–P6 and urosomal segmentation; occasionally in segmentation of P2 endopod. Body subcylindrical, short; posterior margin of cephalothorax and somites bearing P2–P5 with plain hyaline frills; remaining urosomites (except anal somite) with denticulodigitate hyaline frills. Rostrum defined at base, of moderate size, reaching at most to end of second segment of antennule; linguiform. Anal operculum semicircular, bordered with fine spinules or denticles. Caudal ramus wider than long, with dorsal spinular row; with seven setae, setae IV– V not basally inflated in ♀ .

Antennule elongate and 9-segmented in ♀, segment 1 not elongate, segments 5–8 shortest, with aesthetascs on segments 4 and 9; haplocer and 10-segmented with three segments distal to geniculation in ♂, with geniculation between segments 7 and 8, segments 5–7 swollen and with aesthetasc on segment 5; segmental homologies in ♂: I, II– VIII, IX – XII, XIII, XIV – XVI, VII – XVIII, XIX – XX, XXI – XXIII, XXIV – XXV, XXVI – XXVIII. Antenna not sexually dimorphic; proximal endopodal segment largely fused to basis forming allobasis, with pinnate seta on abexopodal margin; exopod 2-segmented, proximal segment with two setae, distal segment with two lateral and three apical elements; distal endopodal segment without penicillate elements. Mandible with three elements on basis; endopod with eight setae; exopod 1-segmented, with four setae. Maxillulary coxal epipodite represented by one seta. Maxilla with three endites on syncoxa; endopod discrete, with 4–5 setae. Maxilliped with three setae on syncoxa; basis with two setae on palmar margin; endopod represented by pinnate claw, accompanied by two accessory setae .

P1 inner basal spine sexually dimorphic (with bifid tip in ♂). P1 exopod 3-segmented; exp-2 only slightly longer than exp-1, with inner seta; exp-3 small, with two pinnate spines and two geniculate setae. P1 endopod 2- segmented; enp-1 elongate, almost twice as long as exopod, with moderately long, pinnate inner seta originating from proximal third (at 35% of ramus length in a region of reduced chitinization of segment wall); enp-2 very small, with one naked minute seta and two unipinnate claws. P2–P4 rami 3-segmented (except P2 endopod ♂ occasionally 2-segmented); P3 endopod ♂ not sexually dimorphic. Armature formula of P2–P4 as follows:

P 5 ♀ endopodal lobe with five setae; inner margin without transverse striae; exopod elongate, with six elements. P 5 ♂ endopodal lobe with two elements; exopod 1-segmented, with 5–6 elements. Vestigial P 6 ♀ represented by three short setae. P 6 ♂ with three setae.

Type species. Parastenhelia anglica Norman & Scott, 1905 = Foweya anglica ( Norman & Scott, 1905) (by original designation).

Other species. Karllangia tertia Kunz, 1975 = Foweya tertia ( Kunz, 1975) .