Terrestrial isopods of the family Eubelidae Budde-Lund, 1899 from Iran, with description of a new species (Isopoda, Oniscidea).

Ghasem M Kashani,Giuseppe Montesanto,Ahdiyeh Abedini

doi:10.3897/zookeys.801.23340

Abstract

In the present work, terrestrial isopods of the family Eubelidae are investigated in Iran. The genera Periscyphis and Somalodillo are reported for the first time. More localities are presented for Koweitoniscustamei (Omer-Cooper, 1923) while K.shafieii Kashani, sp. n. is described and figured. A map indicating the sampling localities for the species is presented.

Highlights

The family Eubelidae Budde-Lund, 1899 includes 50 genera distributed mostly in the tropical areas of Africa, and partly in south-eastern Asia and in the Arabian Peninsula (Taiti et al 1991). Schmidt (2003) considered the occurrence of some eubelid species in the Neotropics due to human activities
The broad distribution of Koweitoniscus tamei can be explained by the range expansion of the species to the south-western part of Iran while Periscyphis vittatus and Somalodillo sp. are most probably introduced to Iran by human activities
The new species, Koweitoniscus shafieii, is endemic to southern Iran. It seems that southern Iran represents the northernmost border for distribution of eubelid terrestrial isopods in the region

Summary

Introduction

The family Eubelidae Budde-Lund, 1899 includes 50 genera distributed mostly in the tropical areas of Africa, and partly in south-eastern Asia and in the Arabian Peninsula (Taiti et al 1991). Schmidt (2003) considered the occurrence of some eubelid species in the Neotropics due to human activities. Uropods with flattened sympodites and reduced exopodites inserting medially on the distal margin of the sympodites, presence of sulcus arcuatus on the lateral margins of the first coxal plates along with the conglobation ability are the most significant diagnostic characters of the family Koweitoniscus tamei (Omer-Cooper, 1923) was the first eubelid species reported from Iran (Kashani 2014). More localities are reported for the species and two more species are identified: Periscyphis vittatus Omer-Cooper, 1926 and Koweitoniscus shafieii Kashani, sp.

Material and methods

Discussion