Neopsammolyce Pettibone, 1997

Cruz-Gómez, Christopher, 2022, Pelogeniinae Chamberlin, 1919 (Annelida, Sigalionidae) from the Grand Caribbean Region, European Journal of Taxonomy 807, pp. 1-59 : 18-19

Genus Neopsammolyce Pettibone, 1997

Neopsammolyce Pettibone, 1997: 10 .

Type species

Psammolyce petersi Kinberg, 1856 by original designation.

Diagnosis

Pelogeniinae with prostomium oval, longer than wide. Upper lip with or without facial tubercle. Median antennal ceratophore bulbous, base without ctenidia. Segment II without middorsal lobe; neuropodia without appendages; neurochaetal blades bifid, falcate. Segment III without dorsal cirri; neuropodia without appendages; neurochaetal blades bifid. First pair of elytra enlarged, rarely deeply notched.

Key to species of Neopsammolyce Pettibone, 1997

(modified from Pettibone 1997)

1. Elytra and neuropodia with segmented, long dendritic papillae.......................................................... ................................................. N. catenulata (Amaral & Nonato, 1984) , Brazil, Southwest Atlantic

– Elytra and neuropodia with entire, long dendritic papillae................................................................ 2

2. Palps slender, very long (exceeding segment eleven); first elytra deeply notched............................ 3

– Palps thick, long (barely reaching segment six); first elytra not deeply notched .............................. 4

3. First elytra with narrow lobes separated by notch, lateral margin concave; neurochaetae from segment III with blades bifid or entire................................................................................................. ............................................................ N. occidentalis ( McIntosh, 1885) , Antilles, Grand Caribbean

– First elytra with wide lobes separated by notch, lateral margin convex; neurochaetae from segment III with blades only bifid............................................. N. fragilis sp. nov., Mexico, Grand Caribbean

4. Upper lip without facial tubercle; middorsal region of segment II with papillae; branchiae from segment III; neurochaetal handles smooth .......................................................................................... .................................................................... N. petersi ( Kinberg, 1856) , Mozambique, Indian Ocean

– Upper lip with facial tubercle; middorsal region of segment II without papillae; branchiae from segment II; neurochaetal handles with transverse rows of spines ..................................................... 5

5. Facial tubercle bulbous; posterior elytra with posterior processes; ventral cirri smooth, non-papillate, with basal knobs ..................................................... N. spinosa ( Hartman, 1939) , Pacific, Costa Rica

– Facial tubercle digitate; posterior elytra with or without posterior processes; ventral cirri papillate, without basal knobs ........................................................................................................................... 6

6. Posterior elytra with posterior processes; neurochaetal blades from segment II falcate, soft; neurochaetae of posterior segments with bifid blades, subdistal tooth narrow ................................... ................................................................. Neopsammolyce aff. floccifera , Colombia, Caribbean Sea

– Posterior elytra without posterior processes; neurochaetal blades from segment II tapered, hardened; neurochaetae of posterior segments with bifid blades, subdistal tooth wide....................................... ................................................................... N. floccifera ( Augener, 1906) , Dominica, Caribbean Sea

Remarks

Psammolyce sombreriana was the name introduced by McIntosh (1885: 149) for P. occidentalis (= N. occidentalis ), which possibly resulted from a confusion. In the discussion section of P. fijiensis [= Pottsipelogenia fijiensis ( McIntosh, 1885) ], McIntosh noted the name P. sombreriana , possibly referring to P. occidentalis , which was the first name that he came up for the species; however, since he kept this honest mistake in the final version of his contribution, the name P. sombreriana is a nomen nudum. In any case, the name P. sombreriana would reflect the fact that his specimens came from Sombrero Island, Antilles. On the other hand, Neopsammolyce spinosa ( Hartman, 1939) was described from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. According to Pettibone (1997), the record of this species from Galeta, Panama ( Fauchald 1977: 62) corresponded to Pelogenia anoculata ( Hartman, 1939) , also described from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. However, the form recorded by Fauchald (1977) is described below as Pelogenia capitata sp. nov.