Two new parastenocaridid genera (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from South America, including a revision of Noodt’s columbiensis-group and the redescription of Parastenocaris tapajosensis Noodt, 1963

Abstract

The genusColombocarisis proposed for a new species discovered on submerged mosses of a high Andean lake in Colombia. The diagnostic characters of the genus mainly concern the morphology of legs, particularly the endopod of leg 2, leg 3, the endopodite of leg 4 and the peculiar leg 5, the cuticular windows of body segments and the morphology of the furca. The new genusNoodtcarisis proposed for three species of theParastenocaris columbiensis-group, viz.,P. columbiensis,P. kubitzkiiandP. roettgeri, described from the Colombian Llanos Orientales, and forP. tapajosensisfrom the Brazilian Amazonas. This genus is well defined by the ornamentation of the caudal rami and the morphology of legs 2 to 5. The absence of endopod on female leg 3 is a diagnostic character at least for the Colombian species. A key for the identification of the species composing the new genera is provided.