Pseudobalucopsylla obscura, Mu & Huys, 2021

Mu, Fanghong & Huys, Rony, 2021, A new species of Helmutkunzia Wells & Rao, 1976 from an intertidal sandy beach in Xiamen, China and proposal of Pseudobalucopsylla gen. nov. (Copepoda Harpacticoida, Miraciidae), Zootaxa 5051 (1), pp. 487-505 : 501

Pseudobalucopsylla obscura sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3343FEE0-2CF8-4B04-8DFD-067C04BF2890

Balucopsylla triarticulata Wells & Rao, 1987 [partim]

Differential diagnosis. Pseudobalucopsylla . Body length 560–600 μm (♀), 560–580 μm (♂). Condition of rostrum, mandibular exopod and P1–P4 not documented. P5 exopod ♀ with straight inner margin and convex outer margin, 1.85 times as long as maximum width; innermost element basally swollen and bipinnate in distal half. P5 endopodal lobe ♀ extending beyond middle of exopod; outer distal element naked, about half length of inner bipinnate one; distal inner element setiform and plumose; proximal inner spine unipectinate, massive and originating on posterior surface of endopodal lobe. P5 exopod ♂ distal inner seta (= 2 nd from inner margin) slightly longer than proximal inner seta; endopodal lobe ♂ extending to about middle of exopod. Caudal ramus seta III longer and less bulbous than in type species; sexual dimorphism in size not recorded.

Type material. The specimen illustrated by Wells & Rao (1987) in their Fig. 104f is here designated as the holotype of P. obscura sp. nov. ( ICZN Arts 16.4 and 72.5.6) .

Type locality. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, South Andaman Island, Chiriatapu , 11°29’06” N, 92°46’12” E (station X in Wells & Rao 1987: 3); medium to coarse sand with very little detritus; sand siliceous and angular to subangular, mean grain size 300–600 μm; sea water temperature 27–29°C; salinity 34.4‰; from surface to 30 cm deep between low and half-tide levels .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin obscurus, meaning covered, obscure, and refers to its discovery among the Balucopsylla triarticulata material examined by Wells & Rao (1987).