Iberoscia gen. nov.

Type species.

Iberoscia zaragozai sp. nov., by monotypy and present designation.

Diagnosis.

Cephalon with frontal and suprantennal lines. First antenna bearing ‘ maraca-like’ aesthetascs. No visible gland pores on tergites. One line of noduli laterales per side. Scale-setae consisting of a hair-like seta covered by a cup-shaped scale. Pleon distinctly narrower than pereon with epimera adpressed. Mandibles with completely dichotomized molar penicils. Maxillule with pectinate teeth. Maxilliped endite with knob-like penicil. Dactyli of pereopods with enlarged ungual seta. Genital papilla distally bifurcate. Pleopods without lungs. Uropods with endopod and exopod inserted almost at the same level.

Etymology.

The genus name is derived from the ancient Greek Iber (Ἴβηρ), referring to the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula, combined with the suffix ‘ oscia ‘, after Philoscia.

Remarks.

Among the European Philosciidae, Iberoscia gen. nov. exhibits a unique combination of morphological characters that justifies its recognition as a new genus. The combination of characters distinguishes Iberoscia from all the other European genera of Philosciidae. In particular, it differs from Anaphiloscia, Ctenoscia and Paractenoscia, by its cephalic structure, the presence of a penicil on the maxilliped endite; the position of the noduli laterales and in the morphology of the pereopodal dactyli. It can be further separated from Chaetophiloscia by mandibular structure, scale-setae, the position of noduli laterales and absence of epimeral groove. From Philoscia, Tiroloscia and Lepidoniscus, it differs in the antennular morphology, cephalic structure (i. e. presence of frontal and suprantennal lines, both absent in Philoscia and Tiroloscia, whereas Lepidoniscus lacks the frontal line but retains the suprantennal line), absence of epimeral grooves and pores, the maxillipedal endite with penicil, and adpressed versus expanded neopleura (see Vandel 1962; Schmalfuss 1990 a, 1990 b).

Within the subfamily Philosciinae, the occurrence of a penicil on maxilliped endite is present in some tropical species of this subfamily belonging to the genera Ischioscia Verhoeff, 1928, Pseudophiloscia Budde-Lund, 1904, Androdeloscia Leistikow, 1999 and Heroldia Verhoeff, 1926, among others (see Taiti and Ferrara 1980).

Finally, based on the combination of characters, Iberoscia gen. nov. also differs from Aracenoscia (see Additional remarks under Chaetophiloscia levantina comb. nov.).