Meximaera diffidentia J.L. Barnard, 1969

White, Kristine N. & Sir, Sally J., 2024, Caribbean Amphipoda (Crustacea) of Panama. Part II: parvorder Hadziidira, ZooKeys 1195, pp. 249-296 : 249

Meximaera diffidentia J.L. Barnard, 1969

Figs 10 , 28C

Meximaera diffidentia Barnard, 1969b: 209-210, figs 21-22; Krapp-Schickel and Vader 2009: 2082-2085, fig. 10.

Maera caroliniana : Bynum and Fox 1977: 11-14, figs 6, 7; LeCroy 2000: 99, fig. 143.

Material examined.

Panama • 4-6 mm • 1 ♂; Bocas del Toro, STRI Point; among coral rubble; 7 Aug 2005; S. DeGrave leg.; GCRL 6639 • 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Pandora ; 9.327769°N, 82.222207°W; depth 10 m, among coral rubble, 10 Aug 2021; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703518 .

Diagnosis.

Eyes oval. Gnathopod 1 carpus subequal to propodus. Gnathopod 2 propodus palm oblique without U-shaped excavation. Pereopods with simple dactyls; pereopod 7 basis slimmer than long, without posterodistal lobe. Uropod 3 rami three times length of peduncle, distally truncated, outer ramus with minute second article. Telson cleft, with one long and one short apical spine.

Distribution.

U.S.A.: North Carolina ( Bynum and Fox 1977), Apalachee Bay to South Florida ( LeCroy 2000), West Florida ( Krapp-Schickel and Vader 2009); Pacific California ( Barnard 1969b); Panama: Bocas del Toro (present study).

Ecology and remarks.

These amphipods are associated with sand and coral rubble at depths of 0-12 m. Panamanian specimens agree closely with the description provided by Barnard (1969b), particularly in the ornamentation and spination of the male gnathopod 2 propodus. The spines on the telson are spaced slightly differently in Panamanian specimens, but still show the same pattern.

Figures

Figure 10. Meximaera diffidentia, male, 2.5 mm, telson; female, 3.9 mm, pereopod 7, uropods 2 and 3, mandibular palp, gnathopod 1 medial, gnathopod 2 propodus with setae removed. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 28. Photographs of live specimens unless noted A Elasmopus pocillimanus B Elasmopus thomasi C Meximaera diffidentia D Quadrimaera ceres (ethanol preserved specimen) E Quadrimaera cristianae F Quadrimaera miranda G Quadrimaera quadrimana. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.