Mexorchestia carpenteri Wildish & LeCroy, 2014

Lowry, J. K. & Myers, A. A., 2022, Platorchestiinae subfam. nov. (Amphipoda, Senticaudata, Talitridae) with the description of three new genera and four new species, Zootaxa 5100 (1), pp. 1-53 : 27-29

Mexorchestia carpenteri Wildish & LeCroy, 2014

( Fig. 15 )

Tethorchestia species B : Bousfield, 1984, pp. 204–205, table. 6. — Camp et al., 1998: 131.

“ Tethorchestia ”.— LeCroy, 2011, pp. 757–758, fig. 590.

Mexorchestia carpenteri carpenteri Wildish & LeCroy, 2014: 562 , figs 3–6, 569, key.

Mexorchestia carpenteri raduloviciae Wildish & LeCroy, 2014: 568 , figs 7–8, 569, key.

Non-Taxonomic Citations

Mexorchestia carpenteri carpenteri .— Wildish et al., 2016: 1916 , table 1 (zoogeography).

Types. Holotype, male, 11.5 mm, USNM 1218141 . Paratypes: female, 8 mm length, USNM 1218142 ; 9 males, 5 females, 1 juvenile, USNM 1218143 ; 1 male, 6 females, CMNC-2012-0020; 2 males; 2 females, USNM 1218144 ; 13 males, 18 females, 4 juveniles, GCRL 06521 .

Type locality. Tiger Tail Beach , Marco Island, Florida, USA. (25°56.7'N 81°44.6 ') .

Ecological type. Beach-hopper.

Habitat. Saltmarsh behind the main beach facing the Gulf of Mexico, with a brackish pool subject to tidal changes. Beach-hoppers sheltered under the damp digging wastes and not burrowing. Possibly feeding on the microalgae within the digging pellets (after Wildish & LeCroy 2014).

Size. Male, 11.5 mm, female, 8 mm.

Diagnosis. Based on Wildish & LeCroy (2014).

Antenna 2, flagellum with 13–21 articles in adult males; ovigerous female antenna 2 with 11–13 articles, oostegite 2 with 17–35 marginal setae; telson, each lobe with 1 to 2 distal dorsolateral robust seta; dorsal pigment pattern in both sexes diamond-shaped or diffuse on cephalon (may be absent), linear, quadrate club-shaped or diamond-shaped on mid-line of pleon (present or absent).

Remarks. Wildish & LeCroy (2014) set up two subspecies: Mexorchestia carpenteri carpenteri based on antenna 2, flagellum with 13–18 articles in adult males; ovigerous female antenna 2 with 11–13 articles, oostegite 2 with 17–35 marginal setae; telson, each lobe with 1 distal dorsolateral robust seta; dorsal pigment pattern in both sexes diamond-shaped on cephalon (may be absent), linear, quadrate or diamond-shaped on mid-line of pleon (always present) and Mexorchestia carpenteri raduloviciae based on Antenna 2, flagellum with 18–21 articles in adult males longer than 9 mm; ovigerous female antenna 2 with 15–19 articles, oostegite 2 with 15–19 marginal setae; telson, each lobe with 2 distal dorsolateral robust setae; dorsal pigment pattern in both sexes diffuse on cephalon (may be absent); linear, club-shaped or absent on mid-line of pleon.

Distribution. USA, Mexico, Belize. North-western Atlantic: Titusville to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Gulf of Mexico: Lower Florida Keys to South Padre Island, Texas. Caribbean Sea: Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico to Turneffe Island, Belize ( Wildish & LeCroy 2014).

Figures

FIGURE 15. Mexorchestia carpenteri Wildish & LeCroy., 2014, after Wildish & LeCroy, 2014.