Stigmops, Lillemets & Wilson, 2002

Lillemets, B. & Wilson, G., 2002, Armadillidae (Crustacea: Isopoda) from Lord Howe Island: New Taxa and Biogeography, Records of the Australian Museum 54, pp. 71-98 : 75

Stigmops n.gen.

Type species. Stigmops polyvelota n.sp.

Composition. Stigmops polyvelota n.gen. n.sp., S. odontotergina n.sp., S. howensis ( Lewis, 1998b) and S. demiclavula ( Lewis, 1998b) .

Diagnosis (with differing A. howensis state between parentheses). Dorsal ornamentation distinct: cephalon with 4 (2) projecting lobes, ridge above eyes, pereonite 1 with one midline anterior and two posterior lobes, pereonites 2– 7 each with pair of midline lobes, increasing in size posteriorly (pereonite 7 with small pair of midline tubercles); dorsal cuticle with scales and numerous pits ( Fig. 7F); body convex with nearly horizontal epimera; conglobation with imperfect folding, leaving flange along sides; frontal lamina raised well above level of vertex, cleft in midline (entire); epimera 1 thin lateral margin, dorsal surface concave, epimera 1 ventral surface with ridge close to tergite junction ending in tooth-like endolobe, epimera 2 endolobe toothlike, endolobes not visible dorsally; pleotelson sides near parallel or hourglass-shaped, posterior margin straight (indented); uropod exopod visible ventrally through gap between pleotelson and uropod protopod distal part.

Etymology. Stigmops means “pitted face”, based on the Greek words “stigme” (a spot or prick) and “ops” (the face). This feminine name refers to the pits on the head and elsewhere (e.g., Fig. 7F) seen in this genus.

Remarks. As discussed above, several species originally included in Anchicubaris Collinge have been transferred to Stigmops n.gen. We place four endemic Lord Howe Island species in Stigmops : S. polyvelota n.sp., S. odontotergina n.sp., S. howensis ( Lewis, 1998b) and S. demiclavula ( Lewis, 1998b) . As discussed above, Anchicubaris fongosiensis , although related, lacks synapomorphies that support the monophyly of Stigmops species. Stigmops species shares some similarities with those in Pyrgoniscus Kinahan, 1859 , including: tooth-like endolobes, epimera 1 with ventral longitudinal ridge, raised frontal lamina, the mode of conglobation and, in Stigmops howensis and Stigmops demiclavula , the shape of the pleotelson and uropods. These two genera differ in the shape and arrangement of dorsal tubercles, highly convex body shape and presence of cuticular pits.