Paraplatyarthrus australiensis Wahrberg, 1922

Javidkar, Mohammad, King, Rachael A., Cooper, Steven J. B., Humphreys, William F. & Austin, Andrew D., 2017, Taxonomy of Paraplatyarthrus Javidkar and King (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Paraplatyarthridae) with description of five new species from Western Australia, and comments on Australian Trichorhina Budde-Lunde, 1908 (Platyarthridae), Zootaxa 4243 (3), pp. 401-431 : 407

Paraplatyarthrus australiensis Wahrberg, 1922 comb. nov.

Fig 4 A–C

Trichorhina australiensis Wahrberg, 1922: 189 –195, fig 59. — Poore 2002: 325 –326.

Holotype. Wooroloo, Goosberry Hill, Western Australia, Zoology Museum, University of Hamburg [N.B. Loan of the holotype was denied to be dispatched]

Material examined. Paratypes: K-18517, K-18521, K-18522 (gender unknown), Wooroloo , Goosberry Hill, Western Australia (Zoology Museum, University of Hamburg)

Diagnosis. Body pale. Eyes with 4–6 developed black ommatidia.

Remarks. This species has not been recollected in more than 90 years. Unfortunately, the paratypes examined were in poor condition which precluded a full redescription. However, the following characters match those for Paraplatyerthrus as follows: dorsal body covered with scale setae; cephalothorax with postfrons and profrons fused; outer endite of first maxilla with four outer teeth (including one stout smaller tooth; Fig. 4 A); maxilla 2 with inner lobe smaller than outer one, a fine suture delimiting lobes ( Fig. 4 B); maxilliped endite with two small arrowlike setae on distal margin ( Fig. 4 C). As the antennae were missing from the paratypes, the presence of a capillary furrow on the antennal peduncle could not be observed. However, the characters above provide enough evidence to confirm its generic placement. Additional sampling from the type locality and a further morphological examination should be undertaken for this species as a matter of priority.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Paraplatyarthrus australiensis (Paratype), A, maxilla 1 outer endite; B, maxilla 2; C, maxilliped. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.