Tupinicaris, Corgosinho & Rocha & Neves & Calixto & Mendes & Schizas, 2024

Corgosinho, Paulo Henrique Costa, Rocha, Carlos Eduardo Falavigna Da, Neves, Gilmar Perbiche, Calixto, Bruno Rocha Athayde, Mendes, Maria Fernanda Lopes & Schizas, Nikolaos V., 2024, A new genus and species of Parastenocarididae Chappuis, 1940 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from the Espinhaço Mountain Range (Brazil) with an unclear phylogenetic position within the Fontinalicaridinae Schminke, 2010, Zootaxa 5512 (2), pp. 151-165 : 153

Tupinicaris gen. nov. Corgosinho, da Rocha and Perbiche Neves, 2024

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9831624F-A1E9-4498-A250-F8C54F202A7D

Diagnosis: Fontinalicaridinae (303-351 μm); female genital field T-shaped, 1.25 times longer than its proximal width, with long medial process (rima genitalis) and occupying more than two thirds in length of the genital doublesomite; furca cylindrical, tapering distally, divergent, 1.5 times longer than telson, about 3.5 times as long as wide, armed with 7 setae, with distinct gap between setae I-III and VII. Telson of male and female with a spiniform process, ventrally and distally inserted, along the sagittal axis, internal to the furcal insertion. Antennule segments 5 to 8 of males forming a functional unit for clasping the female, in grasping position. P2 with long male and female outer spine on the P2 exp-1, as long as 3/4 of the exp-1 and exp-2 combined. Coxa and basis of male P3 smooth and quadratic, slightly longer than their width; basis with a small bulge proximally to the setiform enp, exp-1 straight but expanding distally, with row of spinules medially inserted at the outer margin; exp-1 followed by a thin and scythe-shaped apophysis fused to the exp-1; thumb shorter than apophysis and hook-shaped. Female P3 enp is club-shaped, much shorter than exp-1, with a distal short seta. Basis of male P4 with a strong spinule inserted anteriorly to the thin and long endopodite which is almost as long as the exp-1 and ornamented with a row of very small spinules along its outer margin. Female P4 enp is spiniform, ornamented on both inner and outer margin of its distal half, longer than exp-1, almost reaching the half of exp-2. P5 long on male and female, acuminate distally, the distal rim of which reaches beyond the middle of the next urosomite in the male or the middle of the genital double somite in the female, with 3 outer setae inserted on the distal third, and a distal hyaline cushion probably representing a transformed seta; with a row of spinules along the inner margin, more developed on the male.

Putative autapomorphies for the genus: Very long male and female outer spine on the P2 exp-1, as long as 3/4 of the exp-1 and exp-2 combined; basis of male P3 with a small bulge proximally to the setiform enp, exp-1 straight but expanding distally, followed by a thin and scythe-shaped apophysis fused to the exp-1, thumb shorter than apophysis and hook-shaped; basis of male P4 with a strong spinule inserted anteriorly to the thin and long endopodite which is almost as long as the exp-1; female P4 enp is longer than exp-1, almost reaching the distal rim of the exp-2; P5 of male and female long with 3 outer setae and a distal hyaline cushion probably representing a transformed seta; T-shaped female genital field, with rima genitalis more than two thirds longer than the whole length of the genital double somite; telson of male and female with a ventral and distally inserted bifid spiniform processes, internal to the furcal insertion.