New species of continental cyclopoid copepods (Crustacea, Cyclopoida) from the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico

Abstract

We report here on the cyclopoid copepod fauna encountered during a sampling campaign in several community wells on the Yucat n peninsula in 1997. In 18 freshwater and oligohaline localities, 13 different cyclopoid species were identified. Acanthocyclops rebecae n.sp., found in the south of Campeche, shows clear affinities with the northern vernalis-robustus cline. Two new Diacyclops species, D. pilosu s n.sp. and D. ecabensis n.sp. are described from wells near the archeological site of Tulum. Both are closely related to D. uruguayensis Kiefer, 1935 and D. hispidus Reid, 1988. Specimens of both sexes of Mesocyclops aequatorialis pescei Pesce, 1985 were collected in a deep community water well in the north of Quintana Roo. The male of this species is described for the first time. Micromorphology of the appendages revealed that this subspecies is distinctly different from all other Mesocyclops species known thus far and should be raised to specific rank. The description of Microcyclops echinatus n.sp. which seems closely related to M. elongatus (Lowndes, 1934), is based on specimens obtained in a plankton sample from Laguna Esmeralda in the center of the peninsula. Finally, some observations on two local populations of Microcylops dubitabilis Kiefer, 1934 are given.