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Photo#1217623
Green Isopod - Jaera

Green Isopod - Jaera
South Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, USA
September 9, 2015
Only a few millimeters long

Moved
Moved from Jaera.

Moved
Moved from Jaera albifrons.

Found it!
I've finally found what I'm pretty sure is the source I used earlier! I've added it to the species page. The problem before was that I incorrectly recalled it being limited in scope to the Canadian maritimes and to marine species of Asellota, when in fact it's a key to the Isopoda of North America (marine, fresh, and terrestrial.) Oops! Anyway, I used that source, in conjunction with OBIS data for all taxa of Asellota recorded from the Gulf of Maine to the Labrador Sea to account for species described after the key was published (in 1905). I couldn't actually use most of the key (a view of the antennae would've made things much easier), so I had to eliminate the species one by one by comparing the lateral margins of the telson, thoracic segments, and head, as well as the placement of the eyes. Fortunately, almost other species could be eliminated quite easily. The only other possibilities I can't completely rule out are Jaera ischiosetosa and Jaera praehirsuta, both of which were described in 1949 in Northern Europe. OBIS has one record of each from the same source and location in the Bay of Fundy along the coast of Nova Scotia and I wonder whether the record was in error, as they otherwise have only been found in Europe. It appears they can only be separated by examination of certain of the pereiopods (source).

 
Thank you
Thank you so much for going through all that effort. Next time I find one I will try to see if I can get a photo of the antennae. I am so glad there are people like you on the guide making a real effort to identify marine arthropods

 
No problem!
Keep them coming, though I may not be able to do much with images from Florida if you add some. Too much unfamiliar diversity! Still, I'm always glad to see new marine submissions since the vast majority of even northeastern species aren't represented yet on BugGuide. For example, we only have 15 of the 70+ marine amphipods found in southern New England, with all of the guide pages added in the last year. Identification of marine critters will be so much easier once most of common ones are in the guide.

 
I am traveling to Alaska for
I am traveling to Alaska for a few months, so maybe I will find some new ones to add to the guide :) I will definitely look for some of these little critters in Florida next time I go, so hopefully I will also be able to get usable guide photos there as well. I still have some more photos of marine arthropods from Maine coming too though!

Moved
Moved from Isopods. I'll have to check the ID but I'm pretty sure this is the one. I seem to recall finding a key to the local Janiridae which I used to ID the other images in the guide but neglected to add a link to the species info page and can't seem to find it again. I'll keep looking.

 
Wow!
Wow! Thanks for the quick ID. I look forward to seeing the link when you find it.

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