Texicerberus schotteae Hutchins and Schwartz, 2021

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Suggested Common Name: Snake Texas Cerberus
Etymology: after Marilyn Schotte (National Museum of Natural History), who described many isopods. Common name refers to the type locality
Taxonomic History: Texicerberus schotteae Hutchins and Schwartz, 2021
Size Range: to 1.30mm
Description: (modified from Hutchins, Schwartz & Coleman, 2021) Head 1.2x longer than wide, 0.1x as long as body, with a pair of posteriolateral dorsal simple setae. Antenna 1 directed anterolaterally, 0.1x as long as body; peduncle 3-segmented, segment 1 larger than others with 1 short and 1 long distolateral setae, segments 2-3 with 1 distolateral seta; flagellum 3-segmented, segments 1-3 shorter than peduncle segments, segments 2-3 subequal in length, segment 3 with 1 terminal seta nearly as long as combined segments 2-3 as well as apical biseptate aesthetasc 0.7x as long as entire antenna 1. Antenna 2 2.7x longer than antenna 2, 0.3x as long as body; peduncle 6-segmented 0.8x length of entire antenna 2, segment 1 small, obscured by head margin, segment 3 rhombic, widest near base, with 2 mediolateral setae and without medial spine; flagellum 5-segmented, segments 1-5 shorter than peduncle segments, with 1-2 apical simple setae. Maxilliped basis lobe not extending past palp segment 1; segments 1-4 subequal in length, segments 1-2 with simple medial setae, segment 5 shorter than others with 3 distal simple setae. Pereonites 1-4 subequal in lengths. Pereonite 1 0.6x as long as head, lacking setae, anteriorly nearly as wide as head, tapering posteriorly. Pereopod 1 inserted anterolaterally; dactyl (with claw) 0.7x as long as propus, with 2 ventral subapical short simple setae, claw 0.4x length of dactyl body; propus palm with 2 stout proximal setae, the longest one with fine distal serrations and 2 stout seta with basal tooth near middle, distal one serrated distally; carpus with 2 distal setae. Pereonites 2-4 narrower than pereonite 1, tergal plates with faint medial suture, anteriorly slightly notched and a pair of long simple anterolateral setae.  Pereopods 2-4 inserted anterodorsally; dactyl short, about as long as wide, 2-clawed, claws robust, unequal in sized, smoothly curved; propus subcylindrical with 3-4 simple setae; carpus long, widest proimally with 1 short proximal and 1 longer distal setae; merus short with 2 simple setae; ischium long, cylindrical; basis with 2 short simple setae; coxae rounded, not produced. Pereonite 2 0.9x as long as wide. Pereonite 3 narrower than peronite 4, wider than pereonite 2. Pereonites 5-7 longer than pereonites 2-4, lacking setae, with divided tergites. Pereopods 5-7 inserted posterodorslaly; dactyl, propus and carpus subequal to those on pereopods 2-4; merus short, lacking setae; basis with 1-2 long simple anterior setae. Pereopod 5 ischium short, wide. Pereonite 6 longer than others. Pereopod 6 ischium long-slender. Pereonite 7 about as long as wide. Pereopod 7 ischium short, wide. Pleonites 1-2 lacing setae, tergites simple, covering entire segment. Pleonite 1 about as wide as long, longer and narrower than pleonite 2. Pleonite 2 about as long as wide. ♂ pleopod 2 protopod rectangular, about 0.7x as wide as long; exopod small, rounded, lacking apical seta; endopod lacking setae, 1.2x longer than protopod, half as long as telson, not extending to telson margins, narrow, slightly tapering and curving, with shallow medial furrow in distal half, tip smooth-rounded. Pleopods 3-4 flat, slightly rippled, lacking setae. Pleopod 4 rami subequal in length. Telson about 1.3x longer than wide and 1.8x longer than pleonite 2; lateral margins nearly parallel with pair of dorsal setae; tip subtrapezoidal. Uropod protopod rectangular, about as long as wide, distally curved; exopod very short with 2 long subequal simple setae; endopod long, parallel-sided, tapering distally, 2.8x longer than wide and 2.4x longer than protopod, with 2 short lateral setae and 3-4 subapical and apical long setae.
Geographic Range: Only known from the type locality at Snake Spring (Val Verde County), which discharges water from the western tip of the Edwards Aquifer
Notes: T. schotteae is the most distinctive species in the genus with a very short uropod exopod, a short maxilliped basis lobe and only 2 medial palmar setae on pereopod 1.

Sources

Hutchins, B. T., Schwartz, B. F. & Coleman, W. T. (2021). Three new microcerberids (Isopoda: Microcerberidae) from subterranean freshwater habitats in Texas, USA. Journal of Natural History, 55(35-36):2261-2278.

Published: Feb 15, 2023