Parotoplana sp. A

(Figs. 5 A–B; Fig. 7 C)

Material: one whole mount (CZM 57). Apulia, Italy: Porto Cesareo (Lecce), La Strea (lat. 40°15’34.26”N, long. 17°53’47.63”E), slightly silty fine sand among rocks, about 1 m deep ( Otoplana zone), May 2005.

Description. General morphology of the body and arrangement of organs similar to the other species of the genus (Fig. 5 A). Sclerotized apparatus (Figs. 5 B; 7 C) consisting of:

1) a central stylet composed of a triangular lamina (83 ìm long), well sclerotized only at its margin and at the very slightly forked apex;

2) two companion spines (80 µm long), with poorly developed sickle shaped apices and obtuse subterminal teeth;

3) 12 spines (55 to 60 µm) with sickle shaped apices and obtuse subterminal teeth.

Karyotype. Chromosome number: n = 6; FN = 11. With chromosome pairs I–V metacentric; Chrom. VI subtelocentric, with a high centromeric index. Chroms. I and II distinctly larger than the remaining pairs. The only plate suitable for karyometric analysis yielded the following data: Chrom. I = r.l.: 28.74; c.i.: 47.53 (m); Chrom. II = r.l.: 27.3; c.i.: 35.71 (sm); Chrom. III = r.l.: 13.14; c.i.: 44.5 (m); Chrom. IV = r.l.: 11.7; c.i.: 33.33 (sm); Chrom. V = r.l.: 10.72; c.i.: 30 (sm); Chrom. VI = r.l.: 8.38; c.i.: 23.64 (st).