Microthalestris spinosa, comb. nov.

• Main Authors: Huys, Rony, Mu, Fanghong
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2021
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Arthropoda; Hexanauplia; Harpacticoida; Miraciidae; Microthalestris; Microthalestris spinosa; Iceland; Seltjarnarnes; Harpacticus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5572442; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/951887EAFFE1FFBAFF51D568E78BFD72

Microthalestris spinosa (Fischer, 1860) comb. nov. and M. forficula (Claus, 1863) comb. nov. The original descriptions of two species that had previously been designated, validly or invalidly, as a type species (Sars 1905: 123; Lang 1944: 13), cannot be used as the basis for their identification. Fischer’s (1860) description of Harpacticus spinosus is grossly inadequate and renders the identification of the species indeterminable. Pending the collection of material from Madeira it must be set aside as a species inquirenda in Microthalestris since it does not qualify as a reference for morphological comparison with populations of Microthalestris (or Parastenhelia ) spp. that have subsequently been assigned to it. The various morphs of P. spinosa described by Pesta (1959), Wells & Rao (1987) and Kornev & Chertoprud (2008) as well as Apostolov’s (1968) forma bulgarica are indeterminable (see Table 1 for armature formulae of P1–P5). The allegedly cosmopolitan distribution of Microthalestris spinosa comb. nov. is a direct result of the inadequacy of the original description and the adoption of Lang’s (1948) excessively broad concept of the species. The great majority of the records below are probably false or indeterminable: Iceland: Bay of Faxaflói (Ólafsson et al. 2001); Seltjarnarnes (Steinarsdóttir et al. 2003); Hvassahraun (Steinarsdóttir & Ingólfsson 2004). Norway: Fanafjorden, south of Bergen (Dommasnes 1969). Sweden: Øresund (Dahl 1948); Gullmarfjord (Lang, 1948); northern Øresund (Hagerman 1966). Germany: Kiel Bay (Klie 1949; Anger & Scheibel 1976). Scotland: St. Abbs (Moore 1973, 1974; Hicks 1980); Firth of Forth (Shiells 1983); Great Cumbrae Island (Preston & Moore 1988, 1990). England: Wembury (Colman 1940) and Plymouth Sound (Wieser 1952) in Devon; Isles of Scilly (Wells 1961, 1970); Northumberland (Moore 1973, 1974). Wales: Pembrokeshire (Crothers 1966); Anglesey and Menai Strait (Geddes 1972); north Wales (Lintas & Seed 1994); Holyhead Island (Jarvis & Seed 1996). Isle of ...