Florida Cave Isopod
Mexistenasellus floridensis Lewis & Sawicki, 2016
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum | Crustacea |
| Class | Malacostraca |
| Order | Isopoda |
| Family | Stenasellidae |
| Genus | Mexistenasellus |
| Species | Mexistenasellus floridensis Lewis & Sawicki, 2016 |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygobiont
- Realm
- Aquatic
- Troglomorphy
- Troglomorphic
Distribution
Type locality
Hole in Wall Cave, Jackson Co., FL
Range
Known from one county in Florida in the Florida Lime Sinks karst region.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Florida
Counties
- Florida
- Jackson
Karst regions
Florida Lime Sinks
Specimens
Type material
- Holotype
- USNM 1405910 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
- Paratype ×2
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Collections holding material
| Institution | Lots |
|---|---|
| National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution | 3 |
3 cataloged lots in 1 collection. Compiled from GBIF and not an exhaustive census: many collections are not yet digitised, and holdings are added continually. Search GBIF for specimen records.
Download all 3 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.
Conservation and management
NatureServe
G1 Critically Imperiled
Global rank last reviewed 29 January 2026.
Subnational ranks
- Florida
- S1 Critically Imperiled
Ranks looked up 23 August 2026. Conservation status changes, and a rank here is as current as that date and no more.
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Other resources
References
- Lewis, J.J. & Sawicki, T.R. 2016. Mexistenasellus floridensis sp. n., the first stenasellid isopod discovered from the Floridan aquifer (Crustacea, Isopoda, Asellota). Subterranean Biology 17: 121–132. doi:10.3897/subtbiol.17.7703
- Poucher, S. 2022. Wildlife of Florida's Springs. An Illustrated Guide to over 150 Species. Pineapple Press, Palm Beach, Florida, USA. 196 pp. ISBN 9780000000000.
This account was last revised 28 August 2026. Conservation ranks were looked up 23 August 2026.
How to cite this account
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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