Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 11. 1997 (Budapest, 1997)
Hołyńska, M.: A new representative of Mesocyclops thermocyclopoides-circle (Copepoda: Cyclopoida) from India
MISCELLANEA ZOOLOGICA HUNGARICA Tomus 11. 1997 p. 15-31 A new representative of Mesocyclops thermocyclopoides-circle (Copepoda: Cyclopoida) from India by M. Holynska (Received January 20, 1997) Abstract: A new Mesocyclops species, M. dadayi, has been described from India (Calcutta). M. dadayi sp. n. has all the characteristics of Thermocyclopoides-circ\e and can be distinguished from other representatives of the circle by hairy intercoxal sclerite of leg 4. Character analysis suggests West-African M. dussarti Van de Velde, 1984 to be the closest relative of M. dadayi. Key to fourteen Afro-Asian representatives of the Thermocyclopoides-circle is added. Key words: taxonomy, Copepoda, Cyclopidae, Mesocyclops, Oriental region. Introduction The genus Mesocyclops Sars, 1918 has diversified to a great extent in the Palaeotropis, harbouring seventy percent (ca. 40 species) of the total world fauna as recently known. These predacious cyclopids have radiated to extremely different habitats, living in all kinds of waterbodies from the deep and long-lived ancient lakes to the ephemeral pools. From the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka fourteen taxa (Table 1) have been recorded until now. Yet three (M. leuckarti deccanensis, M. forbesi, M. cokeri) of them should be considered as nomina dubia, and strong doubts are raised, suggested by the recent taxonomical and distributional knowledge (Kiefer 1981, Van de Velde 1984, Holynski 1994) against the occurrence of other three species (M. annae, M. leuckarti and M. thermocyclopoides) in this region. Table 1. Mesocyclops species recorded from the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. (In parentheses are sources of infonnation. Species names with asterisk are considered as nomina dubia) Indian subcont. Sri Lanka M. annae Kiefer, 1930 M. aspericornis (Daday, 1906) + (2) + (3) M. cokeri Nisa et al. 1987* + <4) M. forbesi Nisa et al. 1987* + (4) M. granulatus Dussart & Fernando, 1988 + (5) M. isabellae Dussart & Fernando, 1988 + (5) + (6) M. kieferi Van de Velde, 1984 - + (5) M. leuckarti (Claus, 1857) + <W)
