A revision of the Pseudojaniridae Wilson, with a description of a new genus of Stenetriidae Hansen (Crustacea : Isopoda : Asellota)

Abstract

The discovery of asellotan isopod species resembling Stenetrium, but with male pleopods like those in the genus Pseudojanira Barnard, 1925 necessitated a re-examination of the taxonomy of the family Pseudojaniridae Wilson, 1986. Data presented in this paper support the assignment of the Pseudojaniridae to the superfamily Stenetrioidea Hansen, 1905, thus eliminating the superfamily Pseudojaniroidea Wilson. A new definition of the Stenetrioidea and a generic key are provided. The genus Pseudojanira and its species are revised, including a species-level key. A study of Pseudojanira investigatoris Poore and Just, 1990 has revealed two new cryptic species, Pseudojanira fremantlensis, sp. nov. and Pseudojanira justi, sp. nov. Some paratypes and other specimens originally classified as Pseudojanira investigatoris are reassigned to other species. Descriptions of two new monotypic genera of the Pseudojaniridae, Schottea taupoensis, gen. nov., sp. nov. andAdajinoperus tetanomorphus, gen. nov., sp. nov. further expand the recognised morphological diversity of this family. A new genus of Stenetriidae, Lexcenium, gen. nov., with two new species, L. poorei, sp. nov. and L. greenensis, sp. nov., provides additional evidence of the diverse, non- homologous forms of the ‘stylet-like’ appendix masculina within the superfamily.