Paractenoscia cavernicola sp. nov.

(Figures 9–11)

Material examined

Holotype: ♂, St. 8, leg. S. Taiti and C. Rossano, 28 April 2004 (MZUF 9473) . Paratypes: 3 ♂, 9 ♀♀, same data as holotype (MZUF 9473) .

Description

Maximum length: ♂, 3.5 mm; ♀, 4.8 mm. Body outline as in Figure 9A. Colourless body. Back smooth with some scattered pointed scale-setae (Figure 9B); noduli laterales with b/c and d/c co-ordinates as in Figure 9C. Cephalon (Figure 9D, 9E) with suprantennal line slightly bent downwards in the middle; eyes absent. Pereonites 1–3 with convex distal margins and rounded posterior corners; pereonites 4–7 with progressively more acute corners (Figure 9F). Telson triangular with slightly convex sides (Figure 9G). Antennule (Figure 9H) with third article longer than first and second; third article with two petaliform apical aesthetascs, two petaliform aesthetascs in the middle and one pointed aesthetasc closer to proximal margin. Antenna (Figures 9I, 11A) with flagellum slightly longer than fifth article of peduncle; flagellar articles subequal in length; a row of three aesthetascs on second and four aesthetascs on third flagellar article. Mandible with molar penicil consisting of three long and two short setae; left mandible (Figure 10A) with 2 + 1 free penicils and two lines of scales between the two groups of free penicils; right mandible (Figure 10B) with 1 + 1 free penicils. Maxillule outer branch with 4 + 6 (4 pectinate) teeth; inner branch with two short stout penicils (Figure 10C). Maxilla (Figure 10D) deeply bilobate with setose apex, inner lobe slightly larger than outer one, bearing verruca-like protuberances at the base and with tuft of short segmented sticks near medial margin. Maxilliped (Figure 10E) endite with a line of setae in the middle and no penicil; first article of palp with two strong setae. Pereopods with a row of scales on distal margins of ischium, merus and carpus.

Male: Antenna with fifth article of the peduncle distinctly enlarged (Figure 11A). Pereopod 1 (Figure 11B) with no distinct sexual modifications. Pereopod 7 (Figure 11C) ischium with straight sternal margin. Pleopod 1 (Figure 11D) exopod subtriangular; endopod with pointed apical part slightly bent outwards. Pleopod 2 (Figure 11E) endopod with apical part flagelliform, distinctly longer than exopod. Pleopod 3–5 exopods as in Figure 11F–H.

Etymology

From the Latin ‘ cavernicolus ’ = cavernicolous, cave-dwelling. The name refers to the locality of collection: Ghar-Knadel Cave.