Iranian terrestrial isopods of the family Cylisticidae Verhoeff, 1949 with a description of a new species (Isopoda, Oniscidea).

Ghasem Mohammadi Kashani

doi:10.3897/zookeys.582.7199

Abstract

In the present study, the terrestrial isopods of the family Cylisticidae in Iran are investigated. Geographical distributions of two formerly reported species from Iran, namely Cylisticoides angulatus Schmalfuss, 2003 and Cylisticus rotundifrons (Schmalfuss, 1986), are expanded. Cylisticus masalicus sp. n. is described and its diagnostic characters are figured.

Highlights

Type material of the newly described species is deposited in the Zoological Museum, University of Tehran (ZUTC), the Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection (IRIPP) and in the personal collection of the author (PCGMK)
Schmalfuss (2003a) established a new genus and species for specimens collected from southeastern Azerbaijan, namely Cylisticoides angulatus
In the examination of a collection of terrestrial isopods from northern Iran, Schmalfuss (1986) reported the genus Cylisticus for the first time based on three female specimens, which he cited as Cylisticus sp.I

Summary

Introduction

Verhoeff (1949) established the subfamily Cylisticinae for the genus Cylisticus Schnitzler, 1853 in the family “Porcellionidae”. Strouhal (1953) did not accept the recognition of Cylisticinae as a separate group and proposed the inclusion of all forms with five pairs of lungs in the subfamily Trachelipinae. Vandel (1962) followed Verhoeff’s view and raised Cylisticidae to family level while Schmalfuss (2003a) questioned the validity of the family.Members of Cylisticidae are characterized by: strongly convex body; exoantennal conglobation ability, though the head and telson are poorly adapted to conglobation; pereon tergite I without modifications or with grooves to receive the antennae; head with developed lateral and median lobes; supra-antennal line absent; antenna long; Copyright Ghasem M. I. In the same contribution, he described Cylisticus rotundifrons which was later (Schmalfuss 2003a) transferred to the new genus Cylisticoides. The material examined was collected in Iran (Fig. 1), mostly from May 2014 to September 2015. Schmalfuss (1986) described Cylisticus rotundifrons from a female specimen collected at 12 km NE Zirab, Iran. G.M. Kashani, four males, four females (PCGMK 1810); Someh-Sara, 37°17.7'N, 49°18.6'E, elev.

Results

Conclusion