Protracheoniscus darevskii Borutzky, 1975

Kashani, Ghasem M., 2014, Description of two new species and redescription of one species of agnarid terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea, Agnaridae) from western Iran, ZooKeys 440, pp. 45-56 : 50-53

Taxon classification Animalia Isopoda Agnaridae

Protracheoniscus darevskii Borutzky, 1975

Material examined.

West Azarbaijan, 58 Km N Mahabad, 37°07.9'N, 45°26.3'E, 4 October 2008, leg. G.M. Kashani & Ehsan Entezari, eleven males, eight females and one juvenile (PCGMK1374); Urumiah to Miandoab, 36°54.7'N, 45°44.9'E, 4 Octo ber 2008, leg. G.M. Kashani & E. Entezari, one male and one female (PCGMK1377); 5 Km S Miandoab, 36°56.9'N, 46°09.9'E, 4 October 2008, leg. G.M. Kashani & E. Entezari, one male (PCGMK1381); Zanjan, Mahneshan, 26 April 2012, leg. R. Sayadi, one male (PCGMK1546); Mahneshan, 6 July 2011, leg. Z. Rostami, one male and one female (PCGMK1599); Kurdestan, 10 Km N Bijar, 30 August 2013, leg. E. Jazimagh, one male and one female (PCGMK1610); 10 Km N Bijar, 25 June 2013, leg. E. Jazimagh, ten males and fifteen female (PCGMK1677); 10 Km N Bijar, 30 August 2013, leg. E. Jazimagh, one male and one female (IRIPP Iso-1047).

Diagnosis.

Head with developed rounded lateral and median lobes. Male pereopod VII ischium with straight or concave ventral margin. Male pleopod exopodite I with a deep hollow or obliquely truncate apex. Endopodite I with an apical lobe equipped with small setae.

Redescription.

Maximum length, male and female, 10 mm. Color dark brown with the usual pale muscles spots. Body outline as in Fig. 4A. Cephalon with rounded lateral lobes not protruding compared with broadly rounded frons (Fig. 4B). Antenna long, surpassing the posterior margin of pereon-tergite III; fifth article of peduncle as long as flagellum, with length:width ratio 7:1; flagellum with two articles, proximal article as long as the distal one (Fig. 4D).

Pereon smooth.

Pereon-tergite I with rounded posterolateral margin. Noduli laterales on pereonites I to IV distinctly more distant from the lateral margins than those on pereonites V to VII (Fig. 4A).

Pleon narrower than pereon (Fig. 4A). Telson triangular with slightly concave sides and acute distal part (Fig. 4C). Uropod exopodites long, almost 2.5 times as long as telson (Fig. 4C). Pleopod exopodites I–V with monospiracular covered lungs (Fig. 5 B–H).

Male: Pereopods I–III merus and carpus with brushes of setae (Fig. 4E). Pereopod I ischium triangular, carpus with depression on rostral surface equipped with slender scales; propodus narrow and long, proximal part of sternal margin with dense small scales, distal part bearing strong setae; dactylus with one dactylar and one ungual seta (Fig. 4E). Pereopod VII ischium with straight or concave ventral margin, merus with a short crest on dorsal margin, propodus narrow and long, dactylus with one dactylar and one ungual seta (Fig. 4F, G). Pleopod exopodite I with long hind lobe bearing a deep hollow at apex, in smaller specimens with an obliquely truncate apex; outer margin with several spine setae (Fig. 5 B–D); endopodite I straight with an apical lobe equipped with small setae (Fig. 5A). Pleopod endopodite II longer than exopodite; exopodite triangular with a line of strong setae on outer margin (Fig. 5E). Pleopod exopodites III–V as in Fig. 5 F–H.

Remarks.

During the examination of type material of terrestrial isopods deposited in Zoological Museum of Moscow State University (ZMMU), it was revealed that the type material of Protracheoniscus darevskii is possibly lost. Borutzky (1975) described the species from Armenia and figured its diagnostic characters. Protracheoniscus darevskii is here redescribed on the new material from western Iran (Fig. 1).

This species is characterized by the male pleopod exopodite I possessing a deep hollow at apical part of distal margin and endopodite I with an apical lobe bearing small setae.

Distribution.

Southern Armenia: Megri District; western Iran.