Priceiella (Priceiella) Gustafsson & Bush, new subgenus

Type species. Same as for genus.

Diagnosis. The male genitalia of Priceiella (Priceiella) n. subgen. (Figs 281–283) are similar to those of Melibrueelia Valim & Palma, 2015 (not illustrated), and the abdominal chaetotaxy of both sexes are almost identical in these two groups. However, the marginal carina is interrupted laterally and submedianly in Melibrueelia, but entire in Pr. ( Priceiella) (Fig. 279), and the antero-lateral modifications of the sternal plates in Pr. ( Priceiella) (Figs 277–278) are not found in Melibrueelia . In Melibrueelia the female tergopleurite IX+X is fused with tergopleurite XI, but this is not the case in Pr. ( Priceiella) (Fig. 278), and while in both groups the antennae are sexually dimorphic, the flagellomeres are not modified in the male Pr. ( Priceiella) (Fig. 279) as they are in male Melibrueelia .

Priceiella (Priceiella) is similar to Pr. (Camurnirmus) n. subgen. and Pr. (Torosinirmus) n. subgen., and these three subgenera share the following characters not found in Pr. (Thescelovora) n. subgen.: dorsal preantennal suture, if present, only around either dsms or ads in the first three subgenera, (Figs 279, 287, 294, 309), never both or extending toward both as in Pr. (Thescelovora) (Fig. 302); aps present on male tergopleurites IV in Pr. ( Priceiella) (Fig. 277), Pr. (Torosinirmus) (Fig. 307), and Pr. (Camurnirmus) (Figs 285, 292), but absent in Pr. (Thescelovora) [(Fig. 300; aps are present in more posterior segments in males of some undescribed Pr. (Thescelovora)]. Priceiella (Priceiella) is separated from the other three subgenera by the following characters: sternal and subgenital plates of both sexes with strongly modified antero-lateral ends [Figs 277–278; except Pr. (Pr.) mahrastan (Ansari, 1956a)] unlike in the other three subgenera (Figs 285–286, 300–301, 307–308); mesosome small, triangular with narrow proximal mesosome and ventral rugose nodi in Pr. ( Priceiella) (Fig. 282), but broader and generally more rounded, with wide proximal mesosomes and without rugose nodi in the other three subgenera [Figs 289, 304, 312; minute rugose nodi are present in a few undescribed Pr. (Thescelovora), but the rugose areas are never as extensive in Pr. (Thescelovora) as in Pr. ( Priceiella)]; accessory sternal plates present lateral to male subgenital plate in Pr. ( Priceiella) (Fig. 277) but absent in the other three subgenera (Figs 285, 292, 300, 307).

Description. Both sexes. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and 8, and with ps on segment III. Antero-lateral corners of sternal plates thickened and modified, with anterior margin in some species with small hook [Figs 277– 278; except in Priceiella (Priceiella) mahrastan; not illustrated].

Male. Males with aps on tergopleurite III. Small, round accessory sternal plates lateral to male subgenital plate at segment VIII. Proximal mesosome slender, flaring anteriorly (Fig. 282). Mesosomal lobes slender, triangular. Ventral rugose nodi present (Fig. 282); 2 ames sensilla near anterior margin of mesosomal lobes; 2 pmes sensilla sublaterally, distal to gonopore. Parameres (Fig. 283) generally parallel distally.