A new species of Notodiaptomus Kiefer, 1936 (Copepoda,Diaptomidae) from the Amazon and Orinoco River Basins

A new species of Notodiaptomus, Notodiaptomus simillimus sp. nov., based on the female originally but erroneously assigned to Rhacodiaptomus calatus, and the corresponding newly discovered male, is described and illustrated in detail. The designation of the female as a new species of Notodiaptomus, and the recognition of the corresponding new male, is based on detailed morphological and biometrical studies, analysis of the known distribution and material from laboratory cultures. Morphological analysis demonstrated that the female shares the form of the external genital area and setal armature of the exopod 2 of leg 5 with other species of Notodiaptomus but they differ from those exhibited by species of Rhacodiaptomus. The distributions of the female and male assigned to Notodiaptomus simillimus sp. nov. overlap and include the Atabapo and Guaviare Rivers and Lago Calado. On the other hand, the distributions of the males and females originally assigned to R. calatus are disjunct and where they overlap, that is, in Lago Calado, each is accompanied by its respective mate. Laboratory cultures showed that, as expected, copulation did not occur between males and females described originally as R. calatus. This experiment demonstrated the existence of reproductive isolating mechanisms between these females and males, and confirmed the existence of two distinct genetic pools, i.e. two different species, the original males being of the valid R. calatus and the female a new Notodiaptomus. This female and the corresponding newly discovered male are N. simillimus. The new species is closely related to N. coniferoides.     

The genus Thermocyclops (Crustacea: Copepoda) in Uzbekistan (Central Asia)

Five Thermocyclops species were found in Uzbekistan: T. crassus, T. dybowskii, T. rylovi, T. taihokuensis, and T. vermifer. The last species has been for the first time recorded in the region. The data on morphology, variability and distribution of these species in Uzbekistan are given. A key to determine to the five species is proposed.     

Distribution patterns of the Diaptomidae (Calanoida: Copepoda) in southern Africa

All freshwater calanoids in southern Africa belong to the family Diaptomidae of which there are two subfamilies, the Paradiaptominae (Lovenula, Paradiaptomus and Metadiaptomus) and Diaptominae (Tropodiaptomus and Thermodiaptomus). The Paradiaptominae are endemic to Africa, while the Diaptominae have one endemic African genus Thermodiaptomus, and the other genus Tropodiaptomus, occurs in other parts of the world as well as Africa. Knowledge of distribution of the Diaptomidae has been hampered by incomplete taxonomic knowledge and lack of co-ordination of available information. Distribution patterns of 19 described species and 11 new species confirm that the majority of species have a limited distribution, and that the Paradiaptominae are arid-adapted and belong to temporary pool communities. Six species are endemic to coastal pans and vleis of the western and southern Cape Province. Only those species with a wider distribution have been recorded as colonising man-made lakes. The four Lovenula species are predators and often co-exist with a Metadiaptomus species as prey. Synapomorphies of widely separated species of the Paradiaptominae, provide interesting insights into how their evolution may have been governed by vicariance, dispersal and palaeoenvironments of the African continent.     

Mongolodiaptomus dumonti n. sp., a new freshwater copepod (Calanoida,Diaptomidae) from Thailand

Mongolodiaptomus dumonti n. sp. from several localities in northeast Thailand is described and figured. The new species shares some features with Mongolodiaptomus gladiolus (Shen & Lee), M. calcarus (Shen & Tai) and M. rarus (Reddy, Sanoamuang & Dumont), thus the gladiolus-group is created. However, it stands out in the female, by the extraordinary large postero-laterally spine at left proximal margin of genital somite. In the male, the right caudal ramus has a large tooth and a bilobed knob on ventral side; basis of the right P5 has a distinct, spur-like process on mid-distal surface; the second exopodite-segment of the right P5 has characteristically irregular outer margin, enlarged at proximal 1/3, but narrowed at distal 2/3 and bearing three lateral spines of unequal sizes; the inner margin of basis of the left P5 is fringed with a narrow hyaline lamella and dilated distally in lateral angle.     

New or rare species of Diacyclops Kiefer, 1927 (Copepoda,Cyclopoida) from different groundwater habitats in Italy

Diacyclops paralanguidoides sp.n., Diacyclops paolae sp.n., Diacyclops maggii sp.n. and Diacyclops sardous sp.n., all belonging to the languidoides-group of species, are described from groundwaters (wells, hyporheic habitats) in Italy.New localities are reported, from the same country, for other remarkable species of the genus, viz. Diacyclops clandestinus (Kiefer) and Diacyclops zschokkei (Graeter).The absence of a vestigial exopod and the armature of the basipodite of the antenna are considered as useful diagnostic characters for species demarcations.Research supported by a M.P.I. 60% grant. Gruppo Nazionale C.N.R.-Biologia Naturalistica.Contribution to the knowledge of the underground water fauna in central and southern Italy: XXXVIII.     

Keraladiaptomus rangareddyi a new genus and new species of Diaptominae (Copepoda,Calanoida, Diaptomidae) from a temporary pond in Mattam,Kerala State,India

Calanoid copepods, belonging to the new genus and species Keraladiaptomus rangareddyi, were collected from temporary ponds in Kerala State, India. The new genus belongs to the family Diaptomidae, subfamily Diaptominae. It is described in detail and its affinity to the related genera, Arctodiaptomus Kiefer, 1932 and Eodiaptomus Kiefer, 1932, discussed.     

Amended delimitation of Mongolodiaptomus against Neodiaptomus and Allodiaptomus and redescription of the little known Mongolodiaptomus uenoi (Kikuchi, 1936) from Thailand (Copepoda: Calanoida: Diaptomidae)

Mongolodiaptomus uenoi (Kikuchi, 1936), a little known diaptomid copepod from Taiwan and Indonesia, is re-described based on specimens from Thailand, and its relationship with its congeners is discussed. To clear up the generic confusion between the closely allied genera Mongolodiaptomus Kiefer, Neodiaptomus Kiefer and Allodiaptomus Kiefer, a new criterion relating to the armature of the second exopodite-segment of the male right P5 is introduced. Accordingly, some dubious species of Neodiaptomus and Allodiaptomus are transferred to Mongolodiaptomus.     

Revision of the African species of the genus Mesocyclops Sars, 1914 (Copepoda: Cyclopidae)

A revision is made of the African Mesocyclops species, based on type material (when extant) and on collections from various parts in Africa.Diagnostic characteristics are: presence or absence of spinule patterns on antennular segments, structure of the hyaline membrane of the 17th antennular segment, spine pattern on the basipodite of the antenna, armature of the maxillulary palp, presence or absence of a spine on the basipodite of P₁, armature of the connecting lamella, coxopodite and basipodite of P₄, armature of the apical spines of Enp₃P₄, armature of the last thoracic segment, genital segment and the other abdominal segments, armature of the furcal rami and structure of the receptaculum seminis.First, the taxonomical status of M. leuckarti (Claus) is redefined; this species does not occur in Africa and its geographical range is restricted to Europe and the western part of Northern Asia. On the African continent, twelve other taxa are found. Four are described as new to science: M. kieferi sp.n., M. dussarti sp.n., M. spinosus sp.n. and M. aequatorialis similis subsp.n. The remainder are: M. major Sars, M. tenuisaccus (Sars), M. paludosus Lindberg, M. salinus Onabamiro, M. ogunnus Onabamiro, M. aspericornis (Daday), M. rarus Kiefer and M. aequatorialis aequatorialis (Kiefer).Their geographical distribution is discussed. Eleven taxa are restricted to the African continent (including the Arabian Peninsula and the Canary Islands). One taxon is also found in the Oriental Region. Madagascan representatives are briefly mentioned.The importance of breeding and cross-breeding experiments should be stressed in copepod taxonomy. Experiments were performed on African species and M. leuckarti to evaluate the morphological characters used in the present study, and intraspecific morphological variability was examined up to and including the third generation (Van de Velde, in press).In future one should critically reconsider the so-called cosmopolitan species; they may indeed represent a complex of related taxa, each with a geographical range more restricted than that of the species-complex itself.Abstracted from the author's Ph.D. thesis, State University of Ghent, 1982.Abstracted from the author's Ph.D. thesis, State University of Ghent, 1982.     

A new species of Ochridacyclops (Kiefer, 1937) (Copepoda, Cyclopoida) from Japan

A new species of cyclopoid copepod, Ochridacyclops nipponensis is described from Japan. This is the third species of the genus. The type material was collected from small streams in the mountainous regions in Shikoku. The new species can easily be distinguished from other members of genus by its 12-segmented antennule, by the proportional length of genital double-somite relative to the length of 3 free abdominal somites, and by the shape of caudal rami. The male is unknown.     

Importance of the genital operculum in the taxonomy of South American Diaptomidae (Copepoda,Calanoida)

For the first time, the structures of the female genital field are described and compared among ten species of Venezuelan diaptomids. A nomenclature for these structures is suggested, and there is a preliminary report on the interspecific differences observed in one of these structures, the genital operculum.     

On Gaussia Wolfenden (Copepoda,Calanoida, Metridinidae)

Aspects of the female genital segment with and without attached couplers and enclosed spermatophores are studied of Gaussia specimens collected in the SW Atlantic and SE Pacific. A new species found in the SW Atlantic, Gaussia asymmetrica, is proposed.     

Four new species of Halicyclops Norman, 1903 (Copepoda,Cyclopoida) from Brazil

Four new species of Halicyclops are described and figured from plankton samples of the brackish waters of Pomonga River, Sergipe State (NE Brazil). The ornamentation of the median apical setae of the furcal rami is proposed as useful diagnostic character for species distinction.     

Branchipus cortesi n. sp.: a new anostracan from western Spain (Crustacea,Branchiopoda)

Branchipus cortesi, n. sp. (Anostraca, Branchipodidae) is characterized by the broadly enlarged distal segments of male antenna 2, and a combination of morphological features concerning thoracic limbs, abdominal segments and egg morphology. The species occurs in temporary fresh water bodies in flatlands with temperate Mediterranean climate; it is distributed in the south-western part of Spain. Our study includes a morphological analysis using optical and scanning electronic microscopes. Questions about ecology and distribution of the new species are also discussed.     

A reappraisal of the genus Phyllodiaptomus Kiefer, 1936, with the description of P. wellekensae n.sp. from India,and a redescription of P. tunguidus Shen & Tai, 1964 from China (Copepoda,Calanoida)

Phyllodiaptomus wellekensae n. sp. is described from south India. In the female, the genital somite is dilated at the left proximal margin and armed with an extraordinarily large, somewhat curved, laterally-directed spine; the right genital spine is much smaller than the left one. The terminal claw of leg 5 has a secretory pore at its tip and a characteristic conveyor canal on its anterior surface. In the right male P5, the coxal plate is short and unique in shape. The basis is 1.3 times as long as wide, with a long, sinuous, hyaline lamella on its medial margin. The first exopodite segment is short and optuse at its outer distal corner. The second segment is rectangular and has a short, hyaline, spinous projection between the lateral spine and the terminal claw. The left P5 has a large, serrate, hyaline fan between its apical thumb and medial apical seta. P. tunguidus is redescribed based on material newly collected from three localities in China.     

Two new species ofHalicyclops (Copepoda,Cyclopoida) from the Amazon Basin,Brazil

Two new species ofHalicyclops are described from plankton samples taken in two localities in the Amazon River mouth area, State of Pará, Brazil.Halicyclops lindbergi sp.n. resemblesH. hurlberti andH. clarkei from which it differs by a combination of characters in leg 5, the anal pseudoperculum and the caudal rami. The other new species,H. dussarti, is most morphologically similar toH. pilosus, but they are separated by differences in legs 1 and 5 as well as in the ornamentation of the middle caudal setae.     

Halicyclops korodiensis Onabamiro (Crustacea,Copepoda) in the estuary of the Warri River,Nigeria, West Africa

Halicyclops korodiensis Onabamiro was recorded in plankton samples of the brackish waters of the Warri River, Nigeria, West Africa. It is redescribed and figured.