A new report of Moina macrocopa (Straus, 1820) (Cladocera, Anomopoda) in South America

Distribution and biological aspects of the introduced speciesMoina macrocopa (Straus, 1820) (Crustacea, Cladocera) in the semi-arid central region of Argentina

“…Both the distribution pattern of the row of setae of the ventral edge of the shells (not grouped and approximately of the same size) and the ornamentation of the ephippium surface (covered by polygonal cells that protrude from the surface) are similar to those of the specimens recorded in Corrientes (Paggi 1997). The row of ventral filaments is also similar to that of the specimens found in Rio de Janeiro (Elmoor-Loureiro et al 2010), whereas the ephippium surface seems to be different; the ephippium surface of the specimens of Rio de Janeiro seems to be more similar to that of the subspecies M. macrocopa americana, while the ephippium surface of the specimens of La Pampa is similar to that of the specimens of the Old World. One difference between the specimens of La Pampa and those from Corrientes and Rio de Janeiro is the smaller number of filaments of the ventral edge of the shells and their greater variability, since those from Corrientes and Rio de Janeiro showed between 73 and 76 filaments; this makes the Pampean specimens more similar to those found in Bolivia by Elias-Gutiérrez & Zamuriano-Claros in 1994.…”

“…This cladoceran is characterized by having the head and caparace surface covered with long hairs, a broad, rounded head, without supraocular depression, anterior seta on the penultimate segment of the female's first trunk limb toothed, post-abdomen with seven to ten lateral feathered teeth and one short bifid tooth nearly equal in length, ephippium with two eggs and covered with polygonal cells (Paggi 1997, Elmoor-Loureiro et al 2010. The male's first trunk limb has a large hook on the endopodite and long seta on the exopodite (Elmoor-Loureiro et al 2010).…”

“…The male's first trunk limb has a large hook on the endopodite and long seta on the exopodite (Elmoor-Loureiro et al 2010). Two subspecies have been described so far: M. macrocopa macrocopa (Straus, 1820), the typical form, whose original distribution was restricted to water bodies of the Old World (Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia), and M. macrocopa americana Goulden, 1968, recorded only in North America (Smirnov 1976).…”

“…The species was found again in Argentina, in Norris Lake, which is a natural water body in the province of Buenos Aires (Berasain et al 2000), and in a small urban lake with high anthropogenic influence of the city of Santa Fe (Jose de Paggi et al 2008). In 2008, M. macrocopa specimens were also recorded in the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (Elmoor-Loureiro et al 2010).…”

“…The reports of Goulden (1968), Smirnov (1976), Paggi (1997) and Elmoor-Loureiro et al (2010) were used for the taxonomic determination of species and subspecies. Counts of the quantitative samples were conducted in Bogorov chambers of 5 ml, under a stereoscopic microscope (with the exception of the samples from Bajo de La Tigra); the number of eggs per female and the spectrum of sizes were determined with a conventional optical microscope equipped with a micrometer eyepiece (Carl Zeiss).…”