Rhigonematida from New Britain diplopods.: 1.: The genus Carnoya Gilson, 1898 (Ransomnematoidea: Carnoyidae) with descriptions of three new species

The genus Carnoya Gilson, 1898 is defined and the nominal species listed, Three new species are described from spirobolid diplopods from the island of New Britain and illustrated with the aid of SEM. C. caputbulla sp. n. is characterized by the female cephalic region having an offset, knob-like annule; by the form and distribution of the female cervical spines; the form of the broad lateral alae in the female; the form of the lateral alae in the male; a reduced complement of eleven papillae and their disposition; the annulation of the unarmed male cervical region and the extremely long tail and broad annules in both sexes.C. posterovulva sp. n. is characterized by the knob-like cervical annule in the female; the uniquely posterior position of the vulva; the cervical spination in the female; the disposition of the reduced complement of eleven male copulatory papillae; the annulation of the male cervical region; the male possessing a single cervical spine collar bearing about sixteen, well separated,; spines and by the extremely long tail and broad annules in both sexes. C. janiceae sp. n. is characterized by the female cephalic region lacking an offset, knob-like annule; by the form and distribution of the female cervical spines; the form of the broad lateral alae in the female; the undulation of the lateral alae at cloacal level in the male; the disposition of the thirteen male papillae; the annulation of the unarmed male cervical region and the long tail and broad annules in both sexes. The taxonomy: of the genus and the value of certain morphological characters are discussed and the species from the Americas and the Australasian/Pacific region compared and contrasted. (C) Orstom/Elsevier, Paris.