Cyphonethes tajanus, Karaman & Horvatović, 2018

Karaman, Ivo M. & Horvatović, Mladen, 2018, Revision of the genera Cyphonethes Verhoeff, 1926 and Titanethes Schioedte, 1849 (Isopoda: Oniscoidea: Trichoniscidae) with a description of a new genus and three new taxa, Zootaxa 4459 (2), pp. 261-284 : 266-268

Cyphonethes tajanus n. sp.

Figs 4–19

Material examined: HOLOTYPE: male 4.6 mm, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zavidovići, Suha, Tajan planina Mt, jama Atom pit, 44° 17.923'N, 18° 12.688'E, 23.6.2011, leg. A. Bajraktarević, ( ZZDBE-ISO1103 ) . PARATYPES: ibid., 23.6.2011, A. Bajraktarević, 1♂, 1♀ ; ibid., cave ZA-004, 11.4.2008, leg. S. Polak, 1♂, 4♀ ; ibid., cave ZA- 0 0 5, 11.4.2008, leg. S. Polak, 4♀ ; ibid., cave ZA-014, 20.12.2008, leg. A. Bajraktarević, 2♂ ; ibid., Ukrasna pećina cave, 22.11.2008, leg. A. Bajraktarević, 1♂ ; ibid. 20.12.2008, leg. A. Bajraktarević, 1♂ .

Etymology. The species is named after the Tajan planina Mountain where the type locality is located.

Diagnosis. Medium sized species (male up to 5.6 mm, female 5.7 mm long) without male tegumental glandpiliferous organ. Pereon tergites smooth with two transversal rows of big, prominent tubercles. Exopodite of pleopod 1 terminally truncated, with slightly concave terminal margine; medial margin of pleopod 2 exopodite almost straight.

Description. Cephalon ( Fig. 7 ) with three rows of small and low tubercles. Lateral lobes of quadrate form, as long as wide. Pereon tergites ( Figs 4–6 ) with two transversal rows of big, prominent tubercles. Pleon convex; pleonal segments 3–5 with slightly developed epimera. Pleotelson distal part triangular with truncated apex.

Antennula ( Fig. 8 ) basal article as long as wide; second article longer than wide; distal article 1.5 times longer than wide, bearing 8 aesthetascs. Antenna ( Fig. 14 ) article 3 is twice as long as broad; article 4 is 3 times longer than broad, articles 4 and 5 as long as flagellum.

Right mandible with two penicils; pars incisiva with three teeth; lacinia mobilis inverted cone shaped, finely thorny appicaly; pars molaris oval. Left mandible with three penicils; pars incisiva lateralis with four teeth; pars incisiva medialis massive, with three teeth; pars molaris ovoid.

Maxilla 1 exopodite ( Fig. 13 ) with 4 strong outer teeth, 3 elongated thin medial teeth, 4 shorter inner tooth and 2 elongated pectinate setae distally. Endopodite ( Fig. 12 ) with 3 short penicils, proximal one slightly elongated. Maxilla 2 ( Figs 10–11 ) inner lobe shorter than outer one; inner lobe with 3 rod-like setae on its tip and row of very tiny elongated setae on outer margin; outer lobe on ventral surface with row of rod-like setae subterminally; on dorsal side row of such setae on inner margine; on base of that row one short and stout plumose seta; dorsal side of the tip of outer lobe with brush-like surface of dense, flattened setae.

Maxilliped ( Fig. 9 ) basipodite latero-distal part with sharply tapered tip, outer margin with rows of elongated tiny setae; palp on medial edge with pronounced lobe with setae; outer edge with low protrusions, each with simple setae; endite apex terminally with large penicil, strong spine on medial edge, strong and very short spine on the outer edge.

Pereopods elongated, with elongated fused dactylus and unguis; fused dactylus and unguis almost half the length of propodus. Pereopod 1 ( Fig. 15 ) ischium, merus and carpus of same length, propodus shorter than carpus. Pereopod 7 ( Fig. 16 ) propodus and carpus of same length; merus with slightly concave sternal margin.

Genital papilla ( Fig. 17 ) cylindrical, slightly tapering toward dorsally directed tip.

Pleopod 1 ( Fig. 18 ) endopodite biarticulated, basal article shorter than terminal one; terminal article proximally of blade shape. Exopodite triangular, terminally with concave margin. Pleopod 2 ( Fig. 19 ) endopodite biarticulated; distal article simple, rod like; basal article as long as exopodite. Exopodite in form of rounded rectangle.

Uropod endopodite slightly shorter than exopodite, somewhat proximally inserted.

Remarks. This species is closely related to C. biseriatus , from which it is clearly distinguished by the tergal sculpture and the shape of exopodites of pleopods 1 and 2. Tergal sculpture (tubercles) are remarkably prominent in comparison with the same in C. biseriatus . C. tajanus n. sp. is larger than C. biseriatus . This species is known so far only from caves of a small isolated karst area—Tajan Nature Park, south of the town of Zavidovići in central Bosnia ( Fig. 3 ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. The geographical distribution of the genera: Titanethes, Cyphonethes and Cetinjella n. g. (ITA–Italy; AUS– Austria; SLO–Slovenia; CRO–Croatia; BIH–Bosnia and Herzegovina; HUN–Hungary; ROM–Romania; SRB–Serbia; MNE– Montenegro; ALB–Albania; MK–Macedonia).

FIGURES 4–7. Cyphonethes tajanus n. sp., male (4.5 mm). 4, body, lateral view. 5, body, frontal view. 6, cephalon and pereon tergites 1–3, lateral view. 7, cephalon, frontal view.

FIGURES 8–13. Cyphonethes tajanus n. sp., paratype female (4.8 mm). 8, antennula. 9, maxilliped. 10, maxilla 2, dorsal view. 11, maxilla 2, ventral view. 12, maxilla 1 endopodite. 13, maxilla 1 exopodite. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 14–16. Cyphonethes tajanus n. sp., holotype male (4.6 mm). 14, antenna. 15, pereopod 1. 16, pereopod 7. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 17–19. Cyphonethes tajanus n. sp., holotype male (4.6 mm). 17, genital papilla. 18, pleopod 1. 19, pleopod 2. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.