Agnara haselii, Kashani, 2016

Kashani, Ghasem M., 2016, First record of the genus Agnara (Isopoda: Oniscidea) from Iran with descriptions of two new species, Journal of Natural History 50, pp. 2143-2152 : 2148-2151

Agnara haselii n. sp.

( Figures 5 , 6 )

Material examined

Holotype: male, 8 mm, Mazandaran, Baladeh to Siah-Bisheh, 18 km to Pol-Zangouleh , 36° 13.7 ʹ N, 51°25.7 ʹ E, alt. 2800 m, 12 September 2014, leg. G.M. Kashani ( ZUTC 5389 ).

Paratypes

Mazandaran, same data as holotype, three males and four females, one with marsupium ( ZUTC 5390 ); same data as holotype, four males and four females ( IRIPP Iso-1060); same data as holotype, five males and 20 females ( PCGMK 1863 ); Kiasar to Shahmirzad, 36° 41.7 ʹ N, 53°41.3 ʹ E, alt . 1700 m, 5 August 2014, two males and three females ( PCGMK 2063 ) .

Diagnosis

Head with developed rounded lateral lobes, median lobe with an incision in the middle; male pereopod VII ischium with concave ventral margin bearing a dense setose area; pleopod endopodite I with a rounded lobe at apex, exopodite I distal margin truncate.

Description

Maximum length, males 8.5 mm; females 10 mm. Colour pale to dark brown with the usual pale muscles spots. Body outline as in Figure 5 (a). Cephalon granulated with fine tubercles, with developed rounded lateral lobes, frons with an incision in the middle ( Figure 5 (b, c). Dorsal scale-setae tricorn-shaped ( Figure 5 (d)). Antenna long, surpassing the posterior margin of pereon tergite II; fifth article of peduncle slightly longer than flagellum, with length: width ratio 7:1; flagellum with two articles, proximal article as long as the distal one ( Figure 5 (f)). Pereopod I dactylus with dactylar and ungual setae with simple apices ( Figure 5 (g)).

Pereon tuberculated with fine tubercles. Pereon tergite I with rounded posterolateral margin ( Figure 5 (b)). Noduli laterales on all pereonites almost at the same distance from the lateral margins ( Figure 5 (a)).

Pleon narrower than pereon, granulated with fine tubercles; pleonites III–V with falciform epimera ( Figure 5 (a)). Telson short, twice as wide as long, triangular with concave lateral margins and rounded apex, not surpassing uropod protopodites ( Figure 5 (e)). Uropod exopodites almost twice as long as telson ( Figure 5 (e)). Pleopod exopodites I–V with monospiracular covered lungs ( Figure 6 (b-f)).

Male: Pereopods I–II merus and carpus with brushes of setae on ventral margin ( Figure 5 (g)). Pereopod VII ischium with concave ventral margin equipped with a setose area, rostral surface with a field of fine setae; merus and carpus with strong setae on ventral and distal margins ( Figure 5 (h, i)). Pleopod exopodite I with a truncate hind lobe; distal, inner and outer margins bearing a row of short setae ( Figure 6 (b)); endopodite I straight with a rounded lobe bearing a row of dense small setae at apex ( Figure 6 (a)). Pleopod endopodite II longer than exopodite; exopodite triangular, outer margin concave, equipped with a line of strong setae ( Figure 6 (c)). Pleopod exopodites III–IV with concave outer margin equipped with a line of strong setae ( Figure 6 (d, e)). Pleopod exopodite V outer margin straight equipped with a line of strong setae ( Figure 6 (f)).

Remarks

Agnara haselii n. sp. differs from other species of the genus Agnara by possessing a setose area on ventral margin of the male pereopod VII ischium. Superficially, this species is similar to A. madagascariensis , A. ferrarai and A. gallagheri , but differs from the first two by the absence of a ridge on the dorsal margin of pereopod VII carpus, and from the third by the shape of pleopod exopodite I having a truncate, instead of rounded, distal margin.

Etymology

The name of the species is after my friend, Dr Mohammad Haseli, University of Guilan, Iran.

Distribution

Northern Iran.

Figures

Figure 5. Agnara haselii n. sp., male, paratype. (a) body outline indicating the position of noduli laterales; (b) cephalon and first pereonite, dorsal view; (c) cephalon and first pereonite, frontal view; (d) dorsal scale-setae; (e) telson and uropods; (f) antenna; (g) pereopod I; (h) pereopod VII; (i) pereopod VII ischium enlarged. Scale = a–c, 1 mm; d–g, 0.5 mm.

Figure 6. Agnara haselii n. sp., male, paratype. (a) pleopod endopodite I; (b) pleopod exopodite I; (c) pleopod II; (d) pleopod exopodite III; (e) pleopod exopodite IV; (f) pleopod exopodite V. Scales = 0.2 mm.