Based on type material and additional specimens, the revision presented here comprises all
Harmothoe and
Lagisca species known to occur in the Mediterranean Sea. The following 16 Harmothoe species are considered to be valid and an identification key is provided; seven of them (marked by *) represent new records for the Mediterranean:
Harmothoe antilopes McIntosh, 1876;
H. areolata (Grube, 1860); *
H. aspera (Hansen, 1879);
H. extenuata (Grube, 1840); *
H. fragilis Moore, 1910;
H. fraserthomsoni McIntosh, 1897; *
H. gilchristi Day, 1960; *
H. goreensis Augener, 1918;
H. imbricata (Linnaeus, 1767);
H. impar (Johnston, 1839); *
H. lagiscoides serrata Day, 1963;
H. longisetis (Grube, 1863); *
H. pagenstecheri Michaelsen, 1896; *
H. pokoui Intes and Le Loeuff, 1975;
H. spinifera (Ehlers, 1864); one new species,
H. bellani, is described.
Harmothoe notochaetosa López and San Martín, 1996 is a junior synonym of
H. lagiscoides serrata Day, 1963.
Harmothoe lunulata fauveli Bellan, 1960 and
H. hyalonemae Martín, Rosell and Uriz, 1992 are junior synonyms of
Robertianella synophthalma McIntosh, 1885, an additional new record for the Mediterranean.
Lagisca drachi Reyss, 1961 is referred to the new genus
Neolagisca.
Harmothoe minuta (Potts, 1910) is considered to be a doubtful species. The presence of
Paralepidonotus indicus (Kinberg, 1856) (as
H. boholensis (Grube, 1878) in Rullier, 1963) in the Mediterranean could not be confirmed.