A New Species of Cyphocaris Boeck, 1871 (Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea: Cyphocarididae): Found off the Rocas Atoll, Northeastern Brazil

A new species of the genus Cyphocaris Boeck, 1871, is described. The material examined was collected during the “Acoustics along the Brazilian Coast” (Abraços 1) project, by micronektonic trawls at a targeted depth of 525 m, off the Rocas Atoll, Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil. Cyphocaris boecki sp. nov. can be grouped with the eyed species in the genus but differs from them—except for C. faurei K. H. Barnard, 1916 and C. latirama, Hendrycks & Conlan, 2003—in presenting a dorsally smooth pereonite 1. However, the new species can be distinguished from both by its maxilliped inner plate with two robust apical setae, pereopod 7 basis with weakly produced posterodistal lobe, telson lobes without setae, spines or apical nails, and other characters that are individually discussed among them. The new species can be readily differentiated from C. pedroi Sorrentino, Alves, Johnsson & Senna, 2016, also described from Brazil, by presenting eyes, a rounded lateral cephalic lobe, very elongated antenna 2 almost reaching body length, and pereopod 5 basis, with apically acute spur reaching about two-thirds of the propodus. This is the second record of the genus for Brazilian waters.

A new species of freshwater crab genus Fredius Pretzmann, 1967 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae) from a naturally isolated orographic forest enclave within the semiarid Caatinga in Ceará, northeastern Brazil

A new species of freshwater crab, Fredius ibiapaba, is described and illustrated from a mid-altitude forested patch in Ipú (Ibiapaba plateau, Ceará, northeastern Brazil), between 635 to 782 m. The new species can be separated from its congeners by the morphology of its first gonopod: proximal half remarkably swollen, sloping abruptly downwards distally to a nearly right-angular shoulder; mesial lobe much smaller than cephalic spine; cephalic lobe moderately developed; auxiliary lobe lip, delimiting field of apical spines, protruded all the way to distal margin of auxiliary lobe. Comparative 16S rDNA sequencing used to infer the phylogenetic placement of Fredius ibiapaba n. sp. revealed that it is the sister taxon of F. reflexifrons, a species which occurs allopatrically in the Amazon and Atlantic basin’s lowlands (<100 m). Fredius ibiapaba n. sp. and F. reflexifrons are highly dependent upon humidity and most probably were once part of an ancestral population living in a wide humid territory. Shrinking humid forests during several dry periods of the Tertiary and Quaternary likely have resulted in the fragmentation of the ancestral humid area and hence of the ancestral crab population. Fredius reflexifrons evolved and spread in a lowland, humid river basin (Amazon and Atlantic basins), whilst F. ibiapaba n. sp. evolved isolated on the top of a humid plateau. The two species are now separated by a vast intervening area occupied by the semiarid Caatinga

Six new species of the genus Chevalia Walker, 1904 (Amphipoda, Corophiidea, Chevaliidae) from Brazilian waters, with a key to world species of the genus

Six new species of the genus Chevalia are described from the Brazilian coast using all morphological characters proposed by Barnard & Thomas (1987) and Lazo-Wazen (1999) with two more: the shape of head proximal margin of lateral cephalic lobe and length ratio of uropod 2 rami: C. anomala sp. nov.; C. caetes sp. nov.; C. convexa sp. nov.; C. marajoara sp. nov.; C. thomasi sp. nov.; and C. setosa sp. nov. This paper raises the total number of recognized world species in this genus to 13. The genus is herein subdivided into three groups, based only on the shape of the basis of pereopod 7: group I – rectangular basis of pereopod 7 with a protuberant posteroventral corner, comprises four species; group II – rectangular basis of pereopod 7 lacking a protuberant posteroventral corner, comprises three species; and group III – ovate basis of pereopod 7, comprises seven species. A key of the world Chevalia species is also provided.

New species of Victoriopisa Karaman & Barnard, 1979 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Eriopisidae) from Vembanad backwaters, Southwest coast of India

The new species is the third of genus Victoriopisa from Indian waters.The species is described from the Valanthakad mangrove area of Vembanad backwater. Victoriopisa cusatensis sp. nov differs from other species of Victoriopisa by presenting: (1) a characteristic projection at dorsolateral margin of peduncle article 2 of antenna 1in male while smooth in female; (2) broad, triangular lateral cephalic lobe; (3) posteroventral tooth in epimeral plates; (4) presence of lateral and subapical spines in telson (5) smooth palm of gnathopod 2 without any excavations.

Two new species of amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Photidae) from Korean waters with a redescription of Gammaropsis longipropodi

Three amphipods of the family Photidae collected from Korean waters are reported here with detailed descriptions and illustrations. The Korean materials of Gammaropsis examined in this study are readily assigned to G. longipropodi by the characteristic shape of gnathopod 2 in males: not slenderly produced posterior margin of the carpus, uniform width of very elongate propodus, and the transverse palm. Among the species of genus Photis, P. fischmanni is only one species bearing stridulation ridges of the basis on gnathopod 2 and coxa 3 simultaneously in females, until now. However, Photis stridulus sp. nov. also show this characteristic but is clearly distinguishable from P. fischmanni by the weak setation of the appendages, smaller eye on the anterior cephalic lobe, and the slender carpus and propodus on gnathopod 1. The genus Podoceropsis is recorded from Korean waters for the first time with the discovery of P. clavapes sp. nov. This new species is characterized by its elongate propodus and dactylus on gnathopod 2 and the shape of the posterior lobe of the basis on pereopod 5 in mature males.

A new species of Nuuanu (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Nuuanuidae) from a Caribbean coral reef with identification keys to males and females of Nuuanu species

A new species of amphipod of the genus Nuuanu is described and illustrated, and is diagnosed against the morphologically most similar species. It was collected in coral rubble from a tropical coral reef, NW Caribbean Sea. The new species increases the number of Nuuanu species recorded to 20 worldwide. Nuuanu jaumei sp. nov., can be distinguished from other members of the genus by a combination of characters: head with bigeminal dispersed eyes; mammiliform lateral cephalic lobe; anteroventral notch of head well defined; antenna 1 geniculate; accessory flagellum 3–articulate; coxa 5 devoid of seta on ventromedial margin; article 2 anteroventral corner of pereopod 5 with a strong setae; epimera 1, 2, 3 with 2, 4, 1 ventral robust setae respectively; telson longer than broad; female gnathopod 2 with 2 long and slender setae on posterior margin. In addition, a key for the identification of all known male species of the genus Nuuanu, and another for the identification of the females, are also presented.

A new species of the spider genus Eridantes Crosby & Bishop from the southwestern United States and mainland Mexico with a revised diagnosis of the genus (Araneae, Linyphiidae, Erigoninae)

A new Eridantes Crosby & Bishop (1933) species, E. diodontos n. sp., discovered in the United States in the state of Arizona and in Mexico in the state and city of San Luis Potosí, is described and illustrated. Both males and females are very similar to the respective sexes of the type species, E. erigonoides (Emerton 1882), but can be distinguished by the higher cephalic lobe, position of the prosomal pit, and the form of the palpal tibia in the male and by the convolution of the m-shaped carinae of the epigynum in the female. Comparative illustrations of the male bulb of E. erigonoides and a distribution map of the three known species are also provided. Pending formal taxonomic revision of Eridantes, a revised diagnosis and a brief description of the genus are presented based on examination of specimens of the type species and of the new species described here. The mesal rather than ectal position of the paracymbium and the broadly divided dorsal and ventral sclerites of the largely membranous radix are proposed synapomorphies that distinguish Eridantes from all similar genera.

Morphological and molecular characterisation of Paralongidorus plesioepimikis n. sp. (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from southern Spain

Paralongidorus plesioepimikis n. sp. is described and illustrated by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and molecular studies from specimens collected in a sandy soil in the rhizosphere of stone pine (Pinus pinea) in Bonares (Huelva Province), southern Spain. The new species is characterised by a very long body (9.71-14.11 mm), an expanded and rounded lip region, with a clear constriction followed by a depression posterior to the amphidial aperture, a very long and flexible odontostyle (202-227 μm), guiding ring located at 36.5-44.0 μm from anterior end, dorsal pharyngeal gland nucleus in anterior part of bulb, one subventral pair of nuclei near middle of bulb, vulva at 33-38%, and a dorsally convex tail with rounded terminus (32-39 μm long). SEM observations showed a very large amphidial fovea with conspicuous aperture ca three-fourths as wide as lip region and cephalic papillae appearing as small apertures, each located just anterior to a distinct cephalic lobe. The sequences of the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA, partial 18S rRNA and ITS rRNA gene for P. plesioepimikis n. sp. were obtained. Phylogenetic analyses of P. plesioepimikis n. sp. rRNA gene sequences and of Paralongidorus spp. and Longidorus spp. sequences published in GenBank were done using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference. Paralongidorus species (including P. plesioepimikis n. sp.) clustered together, except for P. bikanerensis which clustered within Longidorus spp. and was clearly separated from all other Paralongidorus spp. in trees generated from the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S and partial 18S data set. ML analysis using SH-test for the validity of Paralongidorus was performed and showed the validity of the genus using the D2-D3 expansion segment of 28S and partial 18S.