Terrestrial Amphipods — Hurley 
145 
Barnard, 1940: 463. 
Schellenberg, 1942: 142. 
Reid, 1947: 18. 
Ruffo, 1947: 120. 
Ruffo, 1948: 206. 
The following generic description, taken 
from Burt (1934), is slightly amplified. The 
entomological terms which Burt used have 
been changed for the sake of uniformity. 
Antenna 1 shorter than peduncle of an- 
tenna 2. Maxilla 1 with palp minute, rudi- 
mentary or absent. Maxilliped with palp of 
three segments, or with rudiment of 4th seg- 
ment. First gnathopod simple and second 
feebly chelate in both sexes. Second gnatho- 
pod with merus produced distally, and propod 
produced beyond minute dactylos. Telson 
entire or emarginate. Uropods 1 and 2 bi- 
ramous, uropod 3 uniramous. 
The genus Talitrus Latreille (1802) was 
based in part on a species originally named 
Oniscus locusta by Pallas in 1776 ( fide Stebbing, 
1888). Montagu (1808) proposed the new 
name saltator for this species since he con- 
sidered the specific name locusta had been 
wrongly applied and was no longer available. 
This species, Talitrus saltator , although cred- 
ited to Montagu, remains the type of the 
genus formulated by Latreille. 
The genus Talitrus is essentially defined by 
the simple first gnathopod and feebly chelate 
second gnathopod in both sexes, the minute 
palp of the first maxilla, the absence of more 
than a rudimentary 4th segment to the max- 
illiped palp, the entire or emarginate telson, 
and the uniramous 3rd uropod. 
Early definitions were found somewhat too 
restricted for the reception of certain new 
species. As a result, several new genera and 
subgenera have been proposed in later years. 
This has led to considerable confusion at the 
generic level. 
The genus Talitroides was erected by Bon- 
nier (1898) for a species of Talitroides later 
named Talitroides bonnieri by Stebbing (1906). 
Stebbing redefined Talitroides with T. bon- 
nieri as type species, the genus being char- 
acterised by pleopods 1 and 2 in which the 
inner ramus was ''rudimentary, reduced to a 
simple tubercle” and pleopod 3 which con- 
sisted "of a small process representing the 
peduncle without rami.” Schellenberg (1934) 
has indicated that T. bonnieri is probably a 
synonym of Talitrus alluaudi Chevreux, 1896, 
and that Bonnier himself was of this opinion. 
Bonnier’s material has been lost. 
Methuen (1913) erected the genus Tali- 
triator for Talitriator eastwoodae , a new species 
from Transvaal, with the following generic 
diagnosis: "Like Talitrus except for the fifth 
sideplate and the following characters:— An- 
tennule is slightly shorter than peduncle of 
antenna. The 4th joint of the maxilliped is 
present. Gnathopod I not as long as gnatho- 
pod II and not stronger; fifth joint strong and 
swollen.” Barnard (1916) transferred Talitrus 
sylvaticus Haswell and Talitrus kershawi Sayce 
to Talitriator. 
Hunt (1925) was of the opinion that, al- 
though there were some differences which 
set Talitrus saltator apart from the species then 
assigned to Talitroides and Talitriator , there 
was no justification for retaining Talitriator. 
Accordingly, he redefined Talitrus to include 
Talitriator. Neither Hunt nor Barnard (1916) 
mention Talitroides. 
Schellenberg (1934) has pointed out that 
Talitroides and Talitriator are synonymous, 
and has suggested that Talitroides , which has 
priority, should be retained as a genus for 
the terrestrial species. 
Burt (1934) redefined Talitrus as given 
above with two subgenera, Talitrus ( Talitrus ) 
and Talitrus (Talitropsis). The latter is based 
on his new species, Talitrus {Talitropsis) topi- 
totum , and is distinguished from Talitrus (s.s.) 
by the following characteristics: "Maxillary 
palp absent. Second gnathopod stronger than 
the first gnathopod. Oostegites small, flat, 
distally rounded, borne on coxopodites of 
second gnathopod to third peraeopod inclu- 
sive. Branchiae borne on coxopodites of sec- 
ond gnathopod to fourth peraeopod in- 
clusive.” 
