Lowryorchestia, Myers & Park & J.-P, 2025

Myers, Alan A., Park, Eunji & J. - P, Olivier, 2025, A revision of the family Protorchestiidae (Amphipoda: Talitroidea) with the description of two new subfamilies, three new genera and one new species, Zootaxa 5725 (3), pp. 371-390 : 376-377

Lowryorchestia gen. nov.

( Figs 3–9 )

Type species. Parorchestia campbelliana Bousfield, 1964: 7 , figs 3–4.

Included species. L. campbelliana ( Bousfield, 1964) ; L. riparicola sp. nov.

Habitat. Near rivers, river floodplains, seabird rookeries..

Etymology. In recognition of the tireless and dedicated research and publication on world talitroidean and lysianassoidean amphipods by the late Dr James K. Lowry.

Diagnostic description. Antenna 1 long, reaching beyond end of peduncular article 4 of antenna 2. Mandible left lacinia mobilis 4-dentate. Maxilla 1 palp small, 2-articulate. Maxilla 2 endopodite shorter than exopodite, weakly truncate distally, lateral margin weakly setose. Maxilliped palp article 4 longer than broad. Gnathopod 1 with palmate lobes on merus, carpus and propodus in both sexes. Gnathopod 2 strongly sexually dimorphic, subchelate in male, mitten-shaped in female. Pereopods 3–7 simplidactylate and amplidactylate. Coxal gills unbranched, plate-like. Pleopods all well developed, naked or minutely setose, rami elongate and setose. Uropod 1 and 2 exopodites with naked margins. Female oostegite setae with coil tips.

Remarks. Lowryorchestia is close to Protorchestia Bousfield, 1982 , from which it differs in the longer antenna 1 which reaches more than half way along peduncular article 5 of antenna 2 and in the unexpanded peduncle of antenna 2. It differs from Eorchestia in having a palmate lobe on the merus of the female gnathopod 1.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Oostegites of A. Microrchestinae and B. Protorchestinae. Cochinorchestia metcalfeae redrawn from Lowry & Peart (2010); Microrchestia bousfieldi redrawn from Lowry & Springthorpe (2015); Protorchestia nitida redrawn from Bousfield (1982); Lowryorchestia campbelliana redrawn from Bousfield (1964); Richardsonorchestia palustris redrawn from Richardson (1993); Serejorchestia lakei redrawn from Richardson (1996).

FIGURE 4. Antenna 1 and antenna 2 of Protorchestiinae. P. nitida Bousfield redrawn from Bousfield (1982); R. palustris redrawn from Richardson (1993); S. lakei redrawn from Richardson (1996).

FIGURE 5. Telsons of species of A) Serejorchestia gen. nov., B) Richardsonorchestia gen. nov. and C) Lowryorchestia gen. nov. S. lakei redrawn from Richardson (1996); S. ceduna redrawn from Serejo & Lowry (2008); R. rupestris and R. palustris redrawn from Richardson (1993); L. campbelliana redrawn from Bousfield (1964).

FIGURE 6. Lowryorchestia riparicola gen. nov., sp. nov., male and female, Manawatu River in Foxton. Scale a = head; b = pleopod; c = Maxilliped; d = Maxilla 1, gills, oostegite; e = left lacinia.

FIGURE 7. Lowryorchestia riparicola gen. nov., sp. nov., male and female, Manawatu River in Foxton.

FIGURE 8. Lowryorchestia riparicola gen. nov., sp. nov., male, Manawatu River in Foxton.

FIGURE 9. Lowryorchestia riparicola gen. nov., sp. nov., male, Manawatu River in Foxton. Scale a, epimera; scale b, uropods and telson.