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)

Abstract

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, laterallydirected 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, hyahne lamella on its medial margin. The first exopodite segment is short and optuse at its outer distal comer. 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. Scanning electron micrographs are provided for the above two species and alSo for P. blanci (the type species of the genus) and P. annae. The taxonomic significance of a set of new characters observed in the four species is discussed, and the generic definition is expanded accordingly. The biogeography of Phyllodiaptomus is commented upon.

Heliodiaptomus phuthaiorum n. sp., a New Freshwater Copepod (Calanoida, Diaptomidae) from Temporary Ponds in Northeast Thailand

“…has some affinities to Phyllodiaptomus tunguidus SHEN andTAI, 1964 (see Fig. 101 in DUMONT andREDDY, 1993), Mongolodiaptomus calcarus (SHEN and TAI, 1965) (see Fig. 92 in REDDY et al, 1998) and P. surinensis SANOA-MUANG andYINDEE, 2001 (see Fig.…”

Description ofPhyllodiaptomus christineae n.sp. from Thailand, and distinction of two subgenera withinPhyllodiaptomus Kiefer,1936 (Copepoda, Calanoida)

“…(see Dumont & Reddy, 1993) . In the male, the large coxal (or intercoxal) plate and the leaf-like second exopodite-segment and its armature on right P5, ornamentation of the second exopodite-segment on left P5, and the large comb on the antepenultimate segment of the grasping antennule are typical of the genus .…”

“…A comparison with its congeners shows that it resembles the Chinese P. tunguidus, but is remote from the annae-group of species which includes the Thai endemic P. praedictus . The close kinship with P. tunguidus is revealed, inter alia, by a transformation of the `fan' into a field of spinules, and a relatively large apical process on the second exopodite-segment of the left male PS (Dumont & Reddy, 1993, Figure 112), the size and shape of the second exopodite-segment and endopodite of the right male P5, and the structure of the female P5, especially the short endopodites . In all other respects, the two species are quite distinct from each other .…”

Phyllodiaptomus praedictus n. sp. (Copepoda, Calanoida) from Thailand

“…Dumont & Reddy, 1993, Figs 139, 142). P. pvaedictus n.sp., like P. annae, belongs to the blanci-group; the other species of this group are P. blanci (Guerne & Richard, 1896), P. sasikumari Reddy & Venkateswarlu, 1989, and P. wellekensae Dumont & Reddy, 1993. A critical comparison shows that P. pvaedictus is morphologically closer to P. wellekensae than to the other species.…”

“…In an earlier paper on the genus Phyllodiaptomus Kiefer, 1936, Dumont & Reddy (1993 predicted the existence of an undescribed species in southwest Asia. Analysing the existing biogeographic trends in this genus, they remarked: 'Clearly .…”