Homola ranunculus Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1995

Guinot, Danièle & Quenette, Gwenaël, 2005, The spermatheca in podotreme crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Podotremata) and its phylogenetic implications, Zoosystema 27 (2), pp. 267-342 : 303

Homola ranunculus Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1995

Female 41.4 × 38.1 mm, New Caledonia, stn CC1 (MNHN-B 19869).

Sternite 8 shows a relatively long median line, and the sterno-abdominal notch is not very deep. The spermatheca occupies about half of the suture 7/8. A wide membranous area, which belongs to sternite 7, is followed by a long slit along suture 7/8; another membranous area, belonging to sternite 8, is more internal and oblique inside the slit. The aperture is slit-like and concealed. The inner wall of the chamber is soft and slightly wrinkled; the external wall is not so flexible. The skeleton ( Fig. 18 ) shows the connections by interfingering, typical for homoloids.

Figures

FIG. 18. — Homola ranunculus Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1995, female 41.4 × 38.1 mm, New Caledonia (MNHN-B 19869), axial skeleton. Abbreviations: br, transverse bridge; cx3, P3 coxae; i, connections by interfingering; i.p., intertagmal phragma; l.m., median line; s, location of the spermathecal chamber. Scale bar: 1 cm.