Leucothoe rudicula 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 rudicula

description: <i>Leucothoe rudicula</i> sp. nov. (Figs 21, 22) <b>Type material.</b> Holotype, male, 2.6 mm, AM P 79801; North Point, Lizard Island (14°38’S 145°27’E), rubble sample from vertical cliffs and unconsolidated bottom rubble, 12.2 m, J. D. Thomas, 28 January 1989 (JDT / LIZ 13). Paratype, male, 2.3 mm, AM P 79802, same station data. Paratype, female, 1.80 mm, AM P 79803, same station data. <b>Additional material examined.</b> 2 females, 1 male, AM P 79804 (JDT / LIZ 13). <b>Type locality.</b> North Point, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°38’S 145°27’E). <b>Etymology.</b> After the Latin ‘ <i>rudicula</i> ’, meaning ‘wooden spoon, spatula’ and referring to the spoon-like apex of the gnathopod 2 carpus. <b>Description.</b> Based on holotype, male, 2.6 mm, AM P79801. <b>Head.</b> <i>Head</i> length less than pereonite 1+2, anterior margin truncate, without serrations or teeth, anterodistal margin quadrate with cusp, ventral cephalic keel oblique, rostrum small to medium; eyes with 10 or more ocelli, round. <i>Antenna 1</i> 0.4 x body length; flagellum 7-articulate, peduncle width less than 2 x article 2. <i>Antenna 2</i> 0.3 x body length 0.3, shorter than antenna 1; flagellum 3-articulate. <i>Mandibles</i> lacking molars, palp 3-articulate, ratio of articles 1–3, 1.0:2.6:1.4, article 2 with 4 distal setae, article 3 with 2 distal setae, incisors strongly dentate; left mandible lacinia mobilis moderate in size, strongly toothed, with 8 accessory setae; right mandible lacinia mobilis small, with 8 accessory setae. <i>Upper lip</i> asymmetrically lobate, anterior margin weakly setose. <i>Lower lip</i> inner lobes fused, bare; outer lobes with moderate gape, anterior margins weakly setose. <i>Maxilla 1</i> palp 2-articulate with 4 distal setae; outer plate with 5 distal spines and 1 distal seta. <i>Maxilla 2</i> inner plate with 4 distal setae; outer plate with 3 robust and 10 <i>–</i> 12 thin distal setae. <i>Maxilliped</i> inner plates fused, distal margin with v-shaped indentation, with short spines and setae; outer plate smooth, reduced, reaching much less than half of palp article 1, with 4 distal setae and 1 distal spine; palp 4-articulate, article 4 widened proximally, slightly recurved. <b>Pereon.</b> <i>Coxae 1–4</i> relative widths 1.0:1.7:1.5:1.8. <i>Gnathopod 1</i> coxa smooth, anterodistal corner produced, with 1 seta, broadly rounded, distal margin rounded, posterodistal margin rounded, facial setae absent; basis expanded distally, anterior margin with 2 short setae, posterior margin bare; ischium bare; carpus and propodus distally inflated, bulbous; carpus length 5.8 x width, proximal margin weakly serrate, distal margin setose; propodus straight, palm smooth with 18 <i>–</i> 20 distal setae; dactylus smooth, reaching 0.1 x propodus length. <i>Gnathopod 2</i> coxa length and width subequal, slightly wider than coxa 3, smooth, bare, anterodistally rounded, distal margin evenly rounded, posterior margin rounded, facial setae absent; basis anterodistal margin expanded, with 2 small tubercles, anterior margin with 2 setae, posterior margin bare; ischium with 4 posterodistal setae; carpus 0.4 x propodus length, recurved, distally truncate, spoon-like, anterior margin smooth; propodus posterior margin without teeth/serrations, with 2 mediofacial setal rows, primary mediofacial setal row above midline, reaching 0.8 x propodus length, secondary mediofacial setal row with 2 setae, 1 row of 3 submarginal setae, palm convex with 3 major projections; dactylus recurved, proximal margin smooth, tapered, anterior margin distally subacute, reaching 0.8 x propodus length. <i>Pereopod 3</i> coxa length 0.8 x width, anterodistal corner over-riding distal face of coxa 2 and extending below it, smooth, bare, anterior margin evenly rounded, distal margin straight, posterior margin straight, facial setae absent. <i>Pereopod 4</i> coxa smooth, bare, anterior margin subquadrate, distal margin produced, posterior margin weakly excavate, facial setae absent. <i>Pereopods 5–7</i> coxa facial setae absent; basis width length ratios 1:1.3, 1:1.0, 1:1.0, posterior margins smooth, bare. <b>Pleon.</b> <i>Epimeron 1</i> with 2 ventral setae. <i>Epimeron 2</i> with 3 ventral setae. <i>Epimeron 3</i> bare, posteroventral margin subquadrate. <i>Uropod 3</i> missing. <i>Uropods 1–2</i> relative lengths 1.0:0.7; peduncle 0.7 x inner ramus length. <i>Uropod 1</i> outer ramus 0.7 x inner ramus length; inner and outer ramus with robust setae. <i>Uropod 2</i> outer ramus 0.8 x inner ramus length; inner and outer ramus with a single robust seta. <i>Telson</i> 2.5 x longer than wide, apex tridentate. <b>Female</b> (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on paratype, female, 1.8 mm, AM P 79803. <i>Gnathopod 1</i> carpus distal margin with 3 setae; basis anterior margin bare, posterior margin with 2 short setae. <i>Gnathopod 2</i> propodus mediofacial setal row with fewer setae. <i>Pereopods 5–6</i> coxa each with 2 proximal facial setae. <b>Habitat.</b> Coral rubble from vertical cliffs and unconsolidated bottom rubble. <b>Remarks.</b> <i>Leucothoe rudicula</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> appears to be very closely related to <i>L</i>. <i>lihue</i> based on the stout gnathopod 1 propodus, short gnathopod 1 dactylus length and the distinct convex gnathopod 2 propodus with 3 strong palmar projections. <i>Leucothoe lihue</i> differs from <i>L</i>. <i>rudicula</i> in its dense covering of setae on the maxilliped inner plates. <i>Leucothoe rudicula</i> shares its truncate, spoon-like gnathopod 2 carpus with <i>L</i>. alata, <i>L</i>. lihue, <i>L</i>. spinulosa, <i>L</i>. <i>tridens</i> and <i>Leucothoe epidemos</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> and its strongly recurved gnathopod 2 dactylus with <i>L. pollexa</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> <i>Leucothoe rudicula</i> shares its general gnathopod 1 shape with species in the genus <i>Paraleucothoe</i>; however, its propodus is much narrower than in <i>Paraleucothoe</i>. The strong dentition of the propodus palm of gnathopod 2 is shared with <i>L</i>. ashleyae <i>, L. hornelli, L. stegoceras</i>, <i>L</i>. <i>adelphe</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> and <i>L. serrata</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> but differs in most other respects, namely the short dactylus of gnathopod 1. <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 528-531, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2260.1.29, http://zenodo.org/record/5323471