Diasynurella wachuschtii Behning, 1940

Palatov, Dmitry M. & Marin, Ivan N., 2023, Diversity of the Caucasian genus Diasynurella Behning, 1940 (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae) with description of four new species, Arthropoda Selecta 32 (1), pp. 23-55 : 25

Diasynurella wachuschtii Behning, 1940

Diasynurella wachuschtii Behning, 1940: 37 , figs. 17, 18 [type locality — Tskhra-Tskharo , Georgia].

DIAGNOSIS. Only females are known. Body small (up to 4.5 mm), unpigmented. Distal article of accessory flagellum of antenna I is about 2.3X shorter than basal one. Inner plate of maxilla I with two plumose marginal setae. Inner plate of maxilla II with row of two plumose setae. Gnathopod I with palm about 1.5X as long as wide, gnathopod II subrectangular, with palm about 2.0X as long as wide in females. Coxal gills VII absent. Epimeral plate I with distinct produced distally, pointed, without spines. Epimeral plate II distally produced and sharply pointed, ventral margin armed with one spine. Epimeral plate III subtrapezoidal, blunted distally, ventral margin armed with one spine. Pleopod peduncles with two coupling hooks in retinacula. Urosomite I completely free, urosomites II and III fused. Basal article (peduncle) of uropod III with one distal spines, ramus without lateral spines. Telson with triangular distal notch, reading about 0.3X of its length.

REMARKS. Currently, males are known only for one species, Diasynurella kiwi Marin et Palatov sp.n. (see below), but we believe that they simply cannot be caught because of their very small body size (about 2 mm), even smaller than females of known species.

GENBANK ACCESSION NUMBERS. LK028565, LK028566 .

DISTRIBUTION. The species was described and is still currently known only from the Samtskhe-Javakheti region in southern Georgia (SW Caucasus), from spring on the Tskhra-Tskharo mountain pass near the road from Bakuriani to Tabitskuri [ Behning, 1940].