Redescription of Protracheoniscus communis (Borutzky, 1945) (Isopoda: Oniscidea) formerly a member of the genus Hemilepistus Budde-Lund, 1879

The family Agnaridae Schmidt, 2003 was established for those terrestrial isopods with monospiracular covered lungs on lateral margin of all pleopod exopodites (Schmidt, 2003). According to the world catalogue of terrestrial isopods (Schmalfuss, 2003), the family includes 15 genera. The members of the genus Hemilepistus sensu lato are characterized by possessing tubercles only on the vertex and anterior pereion-tergites (Borutzky, 1945; Lincoln, 1970; Kashani et al., 2010, 2011), while smooth tergites is a significant character to distinguish the members of the genus Protracheoniscus (Schmidt, 2003). Borutzky (1945) described Hemilepistus communis and deposited the type material in the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University (ZMMU). In the original paper, he illustrated pleopods I-II (figs. 47-49, therein). Re-examination of the type material including the male holotype and five female paratypes revealed that no tubercle exists on tergites. Furthermore, characteristics of the head, pereion-tergite I and pleotelson along with the position of noduli laterales verified the assignment of these specimens to the genus Protracheoniscus Verhoeff, 1917. In spite of missing pleopod appedages except pleopod-exopodites I and V in holotype, the species is redescribed here and some more diagnostic characters for the species are figured (Fig. 1).