Mecataleptodius parvulus (Fabricius, 1793)

(Fig. 19C)

Cancer parvulus Fabricius, 1793: 451 [type-locality: “America”; type probably in Zoological Museum of Kiel University].

Chlorodius americanus de Saussure, 1858: 430, pl. 1, fig. 5; Stimpson, 1860: 209; Desbonne in Desbonne & Schramm 1867: 32.

Chlorodius floridanus Stimpson, 1859: 446; Ng et al. 2008: 201 [not Chlorodius floridanus Gibbes, 1850].

Xanthodius americanus Stimpson, 1860: 209 .

Leptodius parvulus .— Rathbun, 1930: 305, pl. 141, figs. 1–3.

Xanthodius parvulus .— Rathbun 1897: 15; 1921: 69; Melo 1996: 395, unnumbered fig.; Poupin 2018: 222.

Mecataleptodius parvulus . — Tavares & Mendonça 2022: 65, figs. 34A–B, 35D.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: USA (Key West, Florida), Bermuda, Jamaica, Gulf of Mexico, St. Thomas, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Isla de Cubagua, Curaçao, Aruba, Venezuela, and Brazil (Rathbun 1897; Rathbun 1930; Alves et al. 2012; Poupin 2018).

Material examined. Barbados, Drill Hall, St. Michael, nearshore rubble, 13°04’36.30”N, 59°36’26.63”W, 1 Ô CW: 18.5 mm (BLSZ 158) . Idem, 1 ♀ (ovig.) CW: 10.4 mm (BLSZ 233) . Idem, 1 ♀, 1 Ô CW: 9.8, 9.5 mm (BLSZ 234) . Idem, 1 Ô CW: 16.3 mm (BLSZ 235) . Idem, 3 Ô 19.4, 10.7, 10.6 mm (MZUSP 40905) . Idem, 1 Ô CW: 17.3 mm (BLSZ 237) .

Remarks. Specimens of Mecataleptodius parvulus were collected by hand at low tide in nearshore rubble habitat, under rubble rock on the west coast of Barbados. The 1890 U.S. Eclipse Expedition collected one male specimen of Mecataleptodius parvulus (USNM 14886). Rathbun (1921: 69) reported specimens of Xanthodius parvulus (two ovigerous females, USNM 75152; three males, two ovigerous females, USNM 75029; two males, USNM 58050; one juvenile male, one female, USNM 75233) collected by the Barbados-Antigua Expedition in 1918. One female ovigerous (USNM 62522) was collected by G. Miller, who deposited the specimen to the USNM in 1924. The Smithsonian-Hartford Expedition (1937) also collected specimens of Leptodius parvulus (two males, two females, USNM 75028; one ovigerous female, USNM 62522). The report of Leptodius humphreyi as a new endemic species to Barbados by Jones (1968a: 157) is doubtful; the image provided by Jones of Leptodius humphreyi matches that of Xanthodius parvulus and his description seems to match a juvenile specimen of this species. Moreover, Jones did not deposit any specimens of Leptodius humphreyi in the Barbados Museum or any other institution. Alves et al. (2012: 945; fig. 4D) report and figure of Cataleptodious parvulus (Fabricius, 1793) does not appear to match this species (see fig. 20C; Rathbun 1930: 305; pl. 141; figs. 1–3).

This species has been reported under the following names Leptodius parvulus, Xanthodius americanus, and Cataleptodius parvulus (Fabricius, 1793) . McLaughlin et al. (2005: 259, 261) listed two names, Xanthodius americanus and Cataleptodius parvulus in their work as different species. However, Guinot (1968: 712), in her revision of the subfamily Xanthinae, assigned Xanthodius americanus as a valid species, following remarks from Monod (1956: 285) and placed Leptodius parvulus in Xanthodius rather than the genus Cataleptodius . Guinot also treated Chlorodius americanus de Saussure, 1858 as the only synonym of Xanthodius parvulus (see Felder et al. 2005: 1102, no 421). Ng et al. (2008: 201) treated this species as Cataleptodius parvulus, and Poupin (2018: 222), with a recommendation from Peter Davie, recognized Xanthodius parvulus (Fabricius, 1793) as the oldest senior available name for Chlorodius americanus de Saussure, 1857 . Recently however, Tavares & Mendonça (2022: 65) changed this species from Xanthodius to Mecataleptodius after recognising that the male first gonopods of Mecataleptodius parvulus is significantly different from the male first gonopods of the species belonging to the genus Cataleptodius Guinot, 1968 .