Scleropactes tatei, VAN NAME, 1936

Schmidt, Christian, 2007, Revision of the Neotropical Scleropactidae (Crustacea: Oniscidea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151, pp. 1-339 : 89

SCLEROPACTES TATEI VAN NAME, 1936

Scleropactes tatei Van Name, 1936 – Leistikow & Wägele (1999*); Schmalfuss (2003*).

Not: syn. of Scleropactes concinnus – Vandel (1968).

Material examined

Type specimen: one (immature?) ♀, paratype ( Ecuador, Naupon, Takinon Mountain , leg. G. H. Tate, December 1922, AMNH 6530 ) .

Description

Cephalothorax with well-developed lateral lobes. Posterior margin of coxal plate 1 slightly concave. Colour not preserved, surface structure (tricorns, etc.) not in sufficiently good condition for a description. From Van Name’s drawing and description, it seems that the surface is slightly granulate. Uropod endopodites very large.

Remarks

On the basis of a poorly preserved immature female only, no useful comparison with other species of Scleropactes can be made. This species is certainly not a synonym of Scleropactes concinnus , as Vandel (1968) suggested. It seems to have close relationships to Scleropactes pilosus . It is distinguished from Scleropactes pilosus by the much weaker curved posterior margin of the first coxal plate, and probably by the nonenlarged tricorn setae. Both have in common the comparatively large uropod endopodites.