Allocypria Rome, 1962

Karanovic, Ivana, 2011, On the recent Cyclocypridinae (Podocopida, Candonidae) with description of two new genera and one new species 2820, Zootaxa 2820 (1), pp. 1-61 : 7-8

Genus Allocypria Rome, 1962

1962 Allocypria Rome : 83.— Type species: Allocypria inclinata Rome, 1962 (by original designation).

Diagnosis. Carapace reniform, often with elongated posterior end, and sometimes terminating with sharply pointed postero-ventral margin. Distal ends of ovaries curved upwards (see the illustration on the Figure 5A, I ). Marginal pore canals often well-pronounced. A1 7-segmented, male A2 with subdivided penultimate segment and with male sensory bristles (t2 and t3) developed. Swimming setae on A2 long, well exceeding distal end of terminal claws. Terminal segment of Md usually square, sometimes with L:W ratio more than 2:1. Terminal segment of Mxl palp square, endites usually with strongly serrated teeth. Prehensile palps asymmetrical. T2 with basal seta (d1). T3 4- segmented with basal segment carrying all setae (“d1”, “d2” and “dp”). Setae “e” and “f” long, reaching half length of the proceeding segments; seta “g” very short. Terminal segment short, with short “h1” and “h2” setae and long “h3” seta. Caudal ramus completely developed. Hemipenis with two lobes (“a” and “b”) both being quite thin and elongated; Zenker organ with 7 whorls of spines. Genital field in female without any extensions.

Type species. Allocypria inclinata Rome, 1962 .

Other species. A. aberrans Rome, 1962 ; A. claviformis ( Sars, 1910) ; A. mucronata Rome, 1962 ; A. navicula Rome, 1962 .

Remarks and affinities. The genus Allocypria Rome, 1962 has the broadest diagnosis of all genera in the subfamily Cyclocypridinae . It is, however, most closely related to the genus Physocypria Vávra, 1897 , with which it shares a similar carapace shape, similar shape of prehensile palps and hemipenis, as well as the same chaetotaxy of T2 and T3. The main difference is the orientation of the ovaries which have the distal ends curved upwards in Allocypria .

The species Paracypria curta Sars, 1910 , P. flexuosa Sars, 1910 , P. humilis Sars, 1910 , and P. reniformis Sars, 1910 were described by Sars (1910) from Lake Tanganyika and were originally assigned to the genus Paracypria Sars, 1905 . A marine species, Paracypria tenuis Sars, 1905 was chosen as type species by Sars (1910). However, this species is not closely related to the species described from Lake Tanganyika but to the species of the subfamily Paracypridinae , because of the 5-segmented cleaning leg, absence of the posterior seta on the UR, and peculiar appearance of the hemipenis, and also it is a marine species. Most of the species described by Sars (1910) in the genus Paracypria from this lake were transferred into the genus Mecynocypria by Rome (1962), but not the four species mentioned above. Although, based on the drawings of Sars (1910) they most probably belong to the genus Allocypria , there is not sufficient information (such as the morphology of the Mxl and the presence of serrated claws on its endites) to formally assign these species into Allocypria . Rome (1962) included A. aberrans in the genus although the endites on the Mxl do not have strongly serrated claws. It needs to be pointed out that the genus Allocypria requires a revision based on the study of the type material.

Distribution. The genus is endemic to Lake Tanganyika.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A–D, Cypria maculata Hoff, 1942, A, C holotype (♀, SMNH 81083), B, D allotype (♂, SMNH 81084); E-F, C. palustera Furtos, 1935, paratype (♂, SMNH 71410); G-I, Cypria spinifera Tressler, 1937, type (♀, SMNH 71504): A—LV, interior view; B—UR of ♂; C—UR and genital field of ♀: D, E—hemipenis (arrow on E showing well sclerotized parts); F, G—T2; H—UR and genital field of ♀; I—RV, interior view. Scales = 0.1 mm.