Androdeloscia gen. n., a new genus of South American terrestrial isopods with description of 13 new species (Crustacea: Oniscidea: "Philosciidae")

A new genus of philosciid Oniscidea is described for the Venezuelan species Prosekia hamigera (Vandel, 1952) and its Brazilian congener P. silvatica Lemos de Castro & Souza, 1986. They differ remarkably from Prosekia rutilans (Vandel, 1952) and are linked by several synapomorphies with other genera of small philosciids from South America, particularly with Erophiloscia Vandel, 1972 and Andenoniscus Verhoeff, 1941. Several new species of this genus have been found in the collections of Dr W. Hanagarth in Peru, which are now courtesy of the Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde, Stuttgart (SMNS) and in the collections undertaken by Dr C. Schmidt (Ruhr-Universitat) in Venezuela in spring 1998. A diagnosis of the new genus is given, all the species included are described in detail, the inter- and infrageneric phylogenetic relationships are discussed. A key to the species is given.