Nitocrella

Abstract: The freshwater harpacticoid Copepoda fauna of China is heretofore imperfectly known, although it had previously been reported by several authors, such as Daday (1901),Brehm (1923, 1931), Chappuis (1936), Tchang and I (1945), and Mashiko (1951), dealing with a few harpacticoids in a systematic study. After the liberation, a general collection of Copepoda has been undertaken in various forms of water in the whole country.In the present paper, an attempt is made to make an analysis of the characteristics of the Chinese freshwater harpacticoid Copepoda fauna on the one hand, and to give diagnoses of the new species on the other.1. The characteristics of the faunaThere are approximately 63 species and 6 subspecies of harpactteoids, belonging to 27 genera and 10 families, found in China. Most of them, about 74% are Palea-rctic elements. In South China influenced by the Indo-Malaya Realm, a small number, nearly 17 % of all the species listed are tropical and subtropical forms. Only a few species (about 9%) are cosmopolitan. Polar species have not yet been found.The harpactieoid Copepoda fauna of China is doubtlessly most closely related to that of the other Asiatic regions, next to that of Europe and Africa, but very different from that of the Americas.2. Diagnoses of the new speciesa) Microarthridion litospinatus sp. nov. (figs. 1-11)P.5 in both sexes, 1-segmented, bearing 1 seta and 4 spines, the inner second spine being very short.b) Nitocra arctolongus sp. nov. (figs. 12-21)P.5 in the female with the basal segment bearing 1 seta and 5 spines, distal segment about 3 times as long as broad, bearing 6 spines. P.5 in the male, segment 1 with 3 spines, segment 2 being 1.5 times as long as broad, with 6 setae.c) Nitocrella unispinosa sp. nov. (figs. 22-35)P.5 in both sexes, 2-segmented, the basal segmant vestigial, bearing 1 seta and 1 spine, distal segment elliptical in shape, with 4 setae. d) Nitocrella hypogaea sp. nov. (figs. 36-48)P.5 in both sexes, 2-segmented, the basal segment vestigial, with 1 seta only, distal segment elliptical in shape, with 4 setae.e) Bryocamptus (Bryocamptus) intercalaris sp. nov. (figs. 49-60)P.1-4 in the female, resembling subgenus Bryocamptus, P.5 2-segmented, close to subgenus Rheocamptus, basal segment bearing 4 spines, distal segment oval in shape, bearing 5 spines.f) Apolethon trigonus sp. nov. (figs. 61-70)P.5 in the female, circular lob-shaped, the outer portion oval in shape, with 1 seta and 2 spines, the inner portion with 5 spines and a triangular prominence at the outer basal border.g) Apolethon bilolatus sp. nov. (figs. 71-80)P.5 in the female, a triangular plate and divided into two lobes, the inner lobe with 5 spines and the outer lobe with 3 setae.h) Huntemannin biarticulatus sp. nov. (figs. 81-95)In all species of the genus Huntemannia, endopods of P.1 are 1-segmented, but in this new species, they are 2-segmented.i) Parastenocaris longipoda sp. nov. (figs. 96-107)Endopod of P.4 in the female, 1-segmented, rodlike in form, extending to the end of the third exopod segment. P.5 1-segmented oblong triangular, bearing 3 setae, P.3 in the male, endopodite degenerated, endopod of P. 4 1-segmented, strongly modified, triangular in shape, and bearing a branch fringed with 2 setae.

Abstract: En First results of the biological reseaaches on the underground phreatic systems of the Salentine Peninsula (Apulia), carried out at the Zoological Institute of the University of L' Aquila (Italy), are reported. After passing in review the main literature regarding the past studies on the hypogean systems of this region as well as those of the Apulia, the AA. give some informations about the collecting and studing techniques in the phreatic biocoenosis and a detailed list of all the collecting stations (wells, caves and rain-cisterns) in the examined area. For each station, the geographical, topographical, and the main chemical-pysical characteristics, together with the complete list of the collected materials, are reported.The biological samples include many specialized groups, as amphipods, isopods, copepods, ostracods, gastropods, misidaceans, decapods, etc., which display a remarkable degree of adaptation to the subterranean habitat. Among the collected species the following ones show a great systematic and biogeographical value: Salentinella gracillima, Hadzia minuta, Niphargus gr. orcinus, Spelaeomysis bottazzii, Stygiomysis hydruntina, Typhlocaris salentina, Proasellus sp., Nitocrella sp., Metacyclops stammeri, Metacyclops subdolus, Diacyclops languidoides, Diacyclops crassicaudis, Diacyclops antrincola, Halicyclops sp.Particularly, the following species are for the first time reported from the subterranean waters of the Southern Italy: Niphargus gr. orcinus,Diacyclops crassicaudis, Diac yclops languidoides, Diacyclops bisetosus, Paracyclops fimbriatus, Tropocyclops prasinus, Diacyclops antrincola. Some figures regarding the distribution and the systematic of the main collected species are enclosed.

Abstract: Slovenia (southeastern Europe, area 20 000 km2) and neighbouring northeastern Italy (Venezia-Giulia) are rich with endemic taxa of Copepoda, most of them stygobionts. Untill now, only one could be considered as an epigean, rheophilic endemic taxon. In 1986 and 1987, several females were collected from the mountain Radovna River in northwestern Slovenia. They were recognised as new subspecies and described as Moraria pectinata radovnae Brancelj, 1988. Ten years later, three males and two females were found in a small mountain brook in northeastern Slovenia (about 100 km from loc. typ.) in different geology. This gave an opportunity to raise the taxon to the specific level. The male of M. radovnae differs clearly from M. pectinata Thiebaud & Pelosse, 1928; also it is evident that both taxa are closely related. A detailed description of the male of M. radovnae Brancelj, 1988 is given. Based on data from the literature and reports, 14 endemic taxa are found exclusively in Slovenia, and an additional 5 taxa have their type localities (loc. typ.) there. Several more taxa were described, but later they were synonymised. Five endemic taxa, namely Diacyclops hypogeus (Kiefer, 1930), Nitocrella slovenica Petkovski, 1959, Elaphoidella franci Petkovski 1983, E. kieferi Petkovski & Brancelj, 1985, and Paracamptus gasparoi Stoch, 1998, were reported only once. Three endemics were found on several occasions at the same location, and six taxa were found in more than one location within Slovenia. Of these, only Elaphoidella stammeri Chappuis, 1936, could be considered as a common endemic species. Most of the endemics were found exclusively in percolating water in caves. The five taxa with loc. typ. in Slovenia are known in some areas of neighbouring countries, namely Italy and Croatia.

Abstract: Two new species of Nitocrella Chappuis, 1923, N. pescei sp. n. and N. kunzi sp. n., from the Presciano spring system (Tirino River, Abruzzo, central Italy) are described. Both species fit into the hirta‐group of Nitocrella, as defined by Petkovski (1976). From an ecological point of view, they are true stygobiont species, linked to different biotopes of the crenal habitat.