Lourdes M. A. Elmoor-Loureiro

Phytophilous cladocerans (Crustacea, Anomopoda and Ctenopoda) from Paranã River Valley, Goiás, Brazil

Atraves de amostragens rapidas, levantou-se as especies de cladoceros fitofilos presentes em zonas litorâneas de rios, lagoas e brejos permanentes e temporarios do vale do Rio Parana, Goias, Brasil. Foram encontradas 39 especies, das quais 22 sao registradas pela primeira vez na regiao central do Brasil. Sao discutidos aspectos da taxonomia de algumas dessas especies. A analise de agrupamento (UPGMA) dos pontos de amostragem mostrou dois tipos de associacoes de especies de cladoceros fitofilos, caracterizadas pela maior ou menor riqueza e abundância relativa das especies das familias Daphniidae e Moinidae (filtradoras), em contraste com as familias dominantes Chydoridae e Macrothricidae, tipicamente raspadoras do substrato.

New cladoceran records from Lake Paranoá, Central Brazil

The zooplanktonic community of Lake Paranoá has been studied for more than thirty years. Until 1998, when it was considered eutrophic, only three cladoceran species were known from the reservoir. Since 1999, when Lake Paranoá underwent intentional flushing, definite changes in species diversity and composition were identified. At the same time, exploratory studies on littoral cladoceran species were being done. The present study aims to provide additional information on the cladoceran species composition of Lake Paranoá. Seven new species records are presented, four of them also representing the first record from the Federal District (Brasília). The population previously considered as belonging to Bosmina longirostris was reconsidered and re-identified as Bosmina freyi. Figures and comments on species taxonomy and distribution are also provided.

Cladóceros fitófilos (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) do Parque Nacional das Emas, estado de Goiás

This paper presents a preliminary inventory of the phytophylous cladocerans from the Parque Nacional das Emas. Eleven qualitative samples were taken from different sites (lagoon, vereda, and wet campo), from 2000 to 2006. Eighteen species, belonging to typically non-planktonic families, were identified; the most specious family was the Chydoridae. All species are recorded for the first time in Southwest region of Goias.

Redescription of Coronatella poppei (Richard, 1897) (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Chydoridae) and a revision of the genus in Brazil, with descriptions of new taxa

The description of the genus Coronatella Dybowski & Grochowski, 1894 (Cladocera: Chydoridae: Aloninae) pointed towards the need for a revision of species on a worldwide scale. For the Neotropical region, the main challenge noted was the redescription of Coronatella poppei (Richard, 1897). We redescribed this species and revised populations from Brazil that had previously been assumed to be Alona poppei (= C. poppei). Our results indicate that C. poppei is distributed in the southern part of South America. In Brazil, two other taxa are recognized, Coronatella paulinae sp.nov. and Coronatella serratalhadensis sp.nov., which are morphologically distinguished both from each other and from C. poppei. These species also have different geographic distributions. The Brazilian Coronatella fauna also comprises Coronatella monacantha (Sars, 1901) and a related species, Coronatella undata sp.nov. Our results point towards a previously unknown high diversity of Coronatella in the Neotropical region with several implications for to biogeography of the genus.

Cladocerans (Crustacea, Anomopoda and Ctenopoda) from Cerrado of Central Brazil: Inventory of phytophilous community in natural wetlands

The aim of this study was to inventory the cladoceran fauna in wetlands located in two large areas that protect fragments of Cerrado. Located in the Brasilia National Park-DF and Campo de Instrucao de Formosa-GO, these wetlands are formed by upwelling groundwater, with extensive vegetation cover. We found 24 species in the Brasilia National Park and 30 in the Campo de Instrucao de Formosa. The observed richness reached approximately 80% of the estimated values for both protected areas. Moreover, the community of cladocerans in the kind of environment studied appears to be influenced by depth, with higher values of richness and similarity in wetlands of higher average depths. However, shallow wetlands contributed to the total richness with exclusive species, which shows the importance of these habitats for species richness.

The genus Eurycercus Baird, 1843 (Cladocera: Eurycercidae) in the Neotropics

In Brazil and Columbia, we found three different species of Eurycercus Baird, 1843 (Cladocera: Eurycercidae), belonging to two different subgenera: (1) E. (Eurycercus) cf. lamellatus (O. F. Müller, 1776), (2) E. (Bullatifrons) meridionalis sp. nov. and (3) E. (Bullatifrons) dumonti sp. nov. Appearance of the first species in Brazil could be a result of introduction due to human activities. The two other species are apparently Neotropical endemics. There is no opportunity to associate the previously described E. lamellatus var. minuta Birabén, 1939 with any taxa found by us, because the type material is lost and no eurycercids are present in its type locality now; therefore this taxon is species incorrigenda with minimal chance of being re-evaluated.

Position of the dentifera-group in the Coronatella-branch and its relocation to a new genus: Magnospina gen. n. (Crustacea, Chydoridae, Aloninae)

Abstract Magnospina gen. n. was created to relocate species of the dentifera-group from Alona sensu lato (Crustacea: Cladocera) and include Magnospina dentifera comb. n. and Magnospina siamensis comb. n. The synapomorphies of the Magnospina gen. n. are (1) basal spines longer than 2/3 of the postabdominal claw, (2) presence of 1–4 large denticles, broad at their bases, protruding downwards, without setules between them. Morphological traits such as habitus, rostrum and postabdomen shape, armature of IDL setae, number of setae on the exopod of limb III are also important in the distinction between Magnospina gen. n. and other genera from the Coronatella-branch. The morphology of Magnospina dentifera comb. n. male confirms the closer relationship with the clade composed by the elgans-group from Alona sensu lato, Ovalona and Leberis, but the external morphology, morphology of the postabdominal claw, basal spine and setae 2–3 of IDL support their separation from any of the group cited. It is concluded that the Coronatella-lineage of Aloninae is composed of the genera Coronatella, Anthalona, Karualona, Bergamina, Extremalona, Ovalona, Celsinotum, Leberis and Magnospina gen. n. The elegans-group from Alona sensu lato also belongs to Coronatella-lineage, but still need formal allocation.

New records of Parvalona parva (Crustacea: Anomopoda: Chydoridae) from Brazil, with first description of the male

The Neotropical species Parvalona parva (Daday, 1905) was previously reported only from two localities (Northern Argentina and Lencois Maranhenses, Brazil). In the present paper, seven new records of P. parva from Brazil are presented. The specimens were collected from small waterbodies located in the Federal District and the states of Sao Paulo, Para, and Pernambuco. These new records suggest that this species is not as rare as previously believed. The male, sexual female, and the lateral head pores of parthenogenetic females are described and illustrated for the first time.

Morphological abnormalities in the cladoceran Ilyocryptus spinifer (Apipucos Reservoir, Pernambuco State, Brazil)

In a sample taken from Apipucos Reservoir (Recife, PE, Brazil) for taxonomic study, a high percentage (40%) was found of cladoceran Ilyocryptus spinifer individuals with morphological abnormalities on their postabdomen. There was not a fixed pattern of the malformations, which varied in gravity, and could affect the postanal spines or terminal claws. The postabdominal abnormalities are described and compared to the ones described in the literature. The hypothesis of the morphological abnormalities being induced by an occasional environmental toxicant is discussed.

Description of a new species of the costata-group (Cladocera, Chydoridae, Aloninae) from Brazil.

The aim of this study is to describe a new species of the costata-group from Brazil. Alona margipluma sp. nov. shares morphological traits with A. costata Sars, 1862, A. natalensis Sinev, 2008, and A. cheni Sinev, 1999, but differs from them in: (i) thin setulae between the marginal setae on the valves, (ii) setae 4-5 on the exopodite of limb III long and different in length, (iii) bottle-shaped sensillum on the basal endite of limb IV. For identification of Alona margipluma sp. nov. it is necessary to check carefully the main head pores and postabdomen characters since the former superficially resemble A. iheringula, A. setigera and Alona guttata.