Hemilepistus (Hemilepistus) conicus Wang & Hong & Li 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wang, Jin
name: Hong, Xinkai
name: Li, Weichun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Isopoda
Agnaridae
Hemilepistus
Hemilepistus conicus

description: Hemilepistus (H.) conicus sp. nov.
http://zoobank.org/zoobank.org/ DC67025D-962B-4AC7-B0FB-9033F2B7E453
Figs 3–4
Holotype. Male, CHINA: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Yining (43°54’N, 81°33’E), an uncultivated land near Road 704, 14.vii.2021, leg. Du Sheng, prep. slide nos. L21045–21046. Paratypes. One female, same collection data as holotype.
Diagnosis. Head with three conical tubercles situated in dorsal median of frons (Fig. 3 A−D). Pereonites 1 and 2 with 12 large conical tubercles near posterior margins, three and four conical tubercles present on lateral areas of tergites 1 and 2, respectively; pereonite 3 with six to seven lateral weak tubercles, posterior margin smooth (Fig. 3A, B).
Description. Body length 20 mm. Colour grey, tubercles and epimera white, posterior margin of pereon and pleon slightly lighter. Pereonites 1 and 2 with 12 large conical tubercles near posterior margins, directed upwards on tergite 1 and backwards on tergite 2, and their lateral areas with three and four conical tubercles, respectively; pereonite 3 with six to seven weak tubercles on lateral area, posterior margin smooth; pereonites 4–7 smooth (Fig. 3A, B). Pleon short, smooth and narrower than pereon, epimera of pleonite 5 reaching distal one third part of the basipodite (Fig. 3E). Telson triangular, approximate twice as wide as long, lateral margin concave at about distal two fifths, apex blunted round; uropodal protopod with conspicuous incision on lateral margin, exopod short and conical (Fig. 3E).
Head with three conical tubercles in middle of frons; eyes with 24 large ommatidia, five to six tubercles of various sizes above eye (Fig. 3C, D). Antennule composed of three articles, segment 1 approximate as long as segments 2 and 3 (Fig. 4A). Antenna reaches posterior part of pereonite 2 when extended backwards, flagellum with first segment slightly longer than second one (Fig. 4B).
Pereopods I and VII without sexual dimorphism. Pereopod I with two and three spines on distal tip of merus and carpus respectively, pereopod VII with five and six spines on the distal tip of merus and carpus respectively (Fig. 4C, D).
Pleopods, sexual differentiation. Pleopods I and II exopodites with sinuous outer margins, pleopodal lungs well-developed (Fig. 4E, G); pleopods III–V exopodites with small lungs (Fig. 4H–J). Male pleopod I endopodite with broad basal part, narrowed towards apical tip, apical tip finger-like, equipped with four small spines and a line of tiny thorns (Fig. 4F). Male pleopod II endopodite slightly longer exopodite, with distal article long and narrowed apically (Fig. 4G). Pleopods III–V exopodites distally angled on inner margin (Fig. 4H–J).
Distribution. China (Xinjiang).
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin conicus = conical, in reference to the species that has well-developed conical tubercles on the dorsal surface of the head and pereonites 1 and 2.
Remarks. This new species is similar to Hemilpistus rhinoceros Borutzky, 1958 by pereonites 1 and 2 with conical tubercles directed upwards on tergite 1 and backwards on tergite 2. But it can be distinguished from the latter by the largest tubercle on the dorsal side of the head situated in a lateral position, and pereonite 3 with six to seven tubercles on the lateral area (Fig. 3A, C). In H. rhinoceros, the largest tubercle of the head is situated in the median position, and the smooth pereonite 3 without tuberosity (Lincoln 1970).
description: Published as part of Wang, Jin, Hong, Xinkai & Li, Weichun, 2022, First record of the genus Hemilepistus (Isopoda: Agnaridae) from China, with description of two new species, pp. 87-94 in Zootaxa 5188 (1) on pages 90-93, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5188.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/7087452