Leucothoe sparsa White &amp; Thomas, 2009, sp. nov.
Creators: name: White, Kristine N.
name: Thomas, James Darwin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Ericales
Ericaceae
Leucothoe
Leucothoe sparsa

description: <i>Leucothoe sparsa</i> sp. nov. (Figs 25, 26) <b>Type material.</b> Holotype, male, 2.9 mm, AM P 71036, Picnic Beach, Palfrey Island, Lizard Island (14°41.69'S 145°26.89'E), algal mat and fine sediment from rubble bottom, reef flat, 3 m, S. LeCroy, 27 February 2005 (QLD 1708). <b>Type locality.</b> Palfrey Island, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°41.69'S 145°26.89'E). <b>Etymology.</b> After the Latin ‘ <i>sparse</i> ’, meaning ‘sprinkle’ and referring to the sparse mediofacial setal row on the gnathopod 2 propodus. <b>Description.</b> Based on holotype, male, 2.9 mm, AM P71036. <b>Head.</b> <i>Head</i> length less than pereonite 1+2, anterior margin rounded, without serrations or teeth, anterodistal margin rounded without cusp, ventral cephalic keel rounded, rostrum small to medium; eyes with 10 or more ocelli, oval. <i>Antenna 1</i> 0.3 x body length; flagellum 6-articulate, peduncle width less than 2 x article 2. <i>Antenna 2</i> 0.3 x body length, longer than antenna 1; flagellum 4-articulate. <i>Mandibles</i> lacking molars, palp 3-articulate, ratio of articles 1 <i>–</i> 3, 1.0:2.8:2.0, article 2 with 2 distal and 3 proximal setae, article 3 with 2 distal setae, incisors strongly dentate; left mandible lacinia mobilis large, strongly toothed, with 8 accessory setae; right mandible lacinia mobilis small, with 8 accessory setae. <i>Upper lip</i> asymmetrically lobate, anterior margin setose. <i>Lower lip</i> inner lobes fused, bare; outer lobes with moderate gape, anterior margins weakly setose. <i>Maxilla 1</i> palp 1-articulate with 3 distal setae; outer plate with 6 distal spines and 3 thin distal setae. <i>Maxilla 2</i> inner plate with 3 robust and 5 thin distal setae; outer plate with 18 distal setae. <i>Maxilliped</i> inner plates fused, distal margin with v-shaped indentation, with short spines and long setae; outer plate smooth, reduced, reaching less than half of palp article 1, with 2 distal setae and 1 distal spine; palp 4- articulate, article 4 slender, slightly recurved. <b>Pereon.</b> <i>Coxae 1–4</i> relative widths 1.0:1.1:0.9:1.5. <i>Gnathopod 1</i> coxa smooth, setose, anterodistal corner produced, truncated, distal margin straight, posterodistal margin rounded, facial setae absent; basis constricted proximally, anterior margin with 4 setae; posterior margin bare; ischium bare; carpus and propodus distally tapered; carpus length 7.2 x width, proximal margin serrate, distal margin setose; propodus straight, palm serrate with 4 distal setae; dactylus smooth, reaching 0.4 x propodus length. <i>Gnathopod 2</i> coxa length subequal to width, slightly wider than coxa 3, smooth, bare, anterodistally rounded, distal margin evenly rounded, posterior margin straight, facial setae absent; basis linear, without tubercles or serrations, anterior margin with 3 setae, posterior margin bare; ischium with 2 posterodistal setae; carpus 0.7 x propodus length, recurved, distally tapered, anterior margin weakly serrate; propodus posterior margin without teeth/serrations, with 1 sparse mediofacial setal row above midline, reaching 0.5 x propodus length, 1 row of 8 submarginal setae, palm convex with 3 minor projections; dactylus curved, proximal margin smooth, anterior margin distally subacute, reaching 0.7 x propodus length. <i>Pereopod 3</i> coxa length 1.6 x width, anterodistal corner over-riding distal face of coxa 2 and extending below it, smooth, setose, anterior margin evenly rounded, distal margin oblique, posterior margin slightly concave, facial setae absent. <i>Pereopod 4</i> coxa smooth, setose, anterior margin evenly rounded, distal margin evenly rounded, posterior margin tapered, facial setae absent. <i>Pereopods 5–7</i> coxa facial setae absent; basis length width ratio 1:0.9, posterior margins smooth. <i>Pereopod 5</i> basis posterior margin setose. <i>Pereopods 6–7</i> posterior margins bare. <b>Pleon.</b> <i>Epimeron 1</i> with tuft of 4 anteroventral setae. <i>Epimeron 2</i> with 4 ventral setae. <i>Epimeron 3</i> bare, posteroventral corner subquadrate. <i>Uropods 1–3</i> relative lengths 1.0:0.7:1.1; peduncle and outer ramus subequal to inner ramus length; inner and outer ramus lined with short setae. <i>Uropod 1</i> inner ramus with robust setae, outer ramus without robust setae. <i>Uropod 2</i> peduncle and outer ramus 0.8 x inner ramus length. inner ramus with 1 robust seta; outer ramus without spines. <i>Uropod 3</i> inner and outer ramus with robust setae. <i>Telson</i> 1.9 x longer than wide, apex bidentate. <b>Female</b> (sexually dimorphic characters). Unknown. <b>Habitat.</b> In an algal mat and fine sediment from rubble bottom. <b>Remarks.</b> <i>Leucothoe sparsa</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> has a distinctly sparse mediofacial setal row on gnathopod 2 propodus. The anterodistal tuft of epimeron 1 setae is shared with <i>L</i>. <i>alcyone</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>ashleyae</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>assimilis</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>bidens</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>furina</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>germanalcyone</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>saron</i> and <i>L</i>. <i>thula</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> The bidentate telson is also found in <i>L</i>. <i>basilobata</i>, <i>L</i>. cheiriserra, <i>L</i>. <i>commensalis</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>ctenochasma</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>diemensis</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>laticoxa</i> and <i>Leucothoe eumilli</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> <b>Distribution.</b> <i>Australia</i>. Queensland: Lizard Island (current study).
description: Published as part of <i>White, Kristine N. &amp; Thomas, James Darwin, 2009, Leucothoidae *, pp. 494-555 in Zootaxa 2260 (1)</i> on pages 535-538, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2260.1.29, http://zenodo.org/record/5323471