Wellstenvalia, Gómez & Cruz-Barraza, 2021

Gómez, Samuel & Cruz-Barraza, José Antonio, 2021, On some deep-sea Stenheliinae from the Gulf of California and the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula (Mexico): Wellstenhelia euterpoides sp. nov., and Wellstenvalia wellsi gen. et sp. nov. (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Miraciidae), Zootaxa 5051 (1), pp. 117-150 : 127

Genus Wellstenvalia gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:47E36AF9-3E34-428A-B0A9-4E6D49E53AE6

Type species. Wellstenvalia wellsi gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology. The genus is dedicated to Prof. J. B. J. Wells for his contribution to the systematics and taxonomy of harpacticoid copepods. His last name is prefixed to an anagram of the generic names Stenhelia and Delavalia .

Diagnosis. Stenheliinae . Rostrum discrete, strongly bifid, with a proximal dorsal pore, without spinular ornamentation. Female antennule eight-segmented; first segment with proximal pore, with distal corner produced into blunt process; all setae smooth except for pinnate seta on first, second, and last segments; second segment with two, third segment with one seta with fracture plane; sixth segment with two, seventh segment with one articulated seta. Male antennule nine-segmented, haplocer, with geniculation between third and fourth, and sixth and seventh segments; first segment without pore, distal corner less produced than in female; seemingly none seta with fracture plane; eighth segment with two, ninth segment with one articulated seta; aesthetasc present on third, fifth, and last segments. Antenna with allobasis; exopod three-segmented, first and second segment with one, third segment with three setae; free endopodal segment with two lateral spines and two slender accompanying setae, distally with one inner apical spine, three apical geniculate setae and one slender element, and one outer distal pinnate element fused basally to one slender seta. Mandible with coxa relatively short; gnathobase without medial seta and with ventral distal corner produced into small sharp semi-hyaline process; basis with three distal outer setae; exopod arising from short pedestal, with six setae, endopod recurved, twisted over exopod, with three lateral setae, and five distal elements, of which longest element fused to endopod and with hyaline flange in middle part. Maxillulary basis with two endites; proximal endite with four, distal endite with three slender setae, exopod and endopod not fused, one-segmented, endopod with four, exopod with two setae. Maxilla with three endites; proximal endite with two, middle and distal endites with three elements each; basis drawn out into strong spinulose claw, additionally with one spine and two slender setae; endopod one-segmented, with six setae. Maxilliped subchelate; syncoxa with three, basis with two elements; endopod one-segmented, with one claw-like element and one seta. Female and male P1 with intercoxal sclerite transversely elongated and without surface ornamentation; exopod three- endopod two-segmented; armature formula of exopod/endopod 0,1,022/1,121. Female P2–P4 with three segmented rami; intercoxal sclerites with pointed distal processes; basis with inner acute pointed projection decreasing in size from P2 to P4; P2 ENP1 with inner strong element fused to segment, of P3 ENP1 discrete, of P4 ENP1 a long stiff seta; armature formula of exopod/endopod (P2) 1,1,123/1,1,121, (P3) 1,1,323/1,1,321, (P4) 1,1,323/1,1,221; male sexual dimorphism in P1 expressed in the relative length and width of EXP and ENP, and in the coarser spinular ornamentation; in P2 expressed in the somewhat shorter inner process of basis, ornamentation of setae and spines, and in the two-segmented ENP of which original division between ENP2 and ENP3 indicated by remains of distal outer and inner processes of former ENP2; in P3 expressed in the less developed inner process of basis, and in more slender setae on ENP3; in P4 expressed in the ornamentation of setae and spines and coarser outer spinules on EXP and ENP. Female P5 endopodal lobe with four setae of which outermost shortest and set closely to adjacent seta, innermost seta normal; exopod with five setae; male P5 EXP with one outer short spine, one medial long spine and one inner slender seta, both baseoendopods fused medially, each with one outer small seta and one inner long element. Female P6 a minute flap without surface ornamentation, with one slender seta; male P6 pair asymmetric, one of them functional and separated from somite, the other fused and not functional, each with one outer seta and one inner spine. Caudal rami elongate, about five times as long as wide and nearly four times as long as anal somite; with seven elements; seta I minute, ventral to seta II, both arising laterally on distal third, setae IV and V not fused, the former without, the latter with fracture plane.