Revision of Ilyocryptus Sars, 1862 (Cladocera: Ilyocryptidae) of Brazil with description of two new subspecies

Abstract

Analyzing numerous samples from Brazil, we found only three previously described species of Ilyocryptus (Cladocera: Anomopoda: Ilyocryptidae): I. paranaensis paranaensis Paggi, 1989, I. sarsi Stingelin, 1913 and I. spinifer Herrick, 1882. Two new taxa, being Neotropical subspecies of the species previously described from Palaearctic, I. cuneatus brasiliensis subsp. nov. and I. silvaeducensis paraensis subsp. nov., are described. Maps of Brazilian records are provided for each species using both original and literature data. Most part of records of Brazilian ilyocryptids concerns I. spinifer, which is among the most common cladocerans in the Neotropics, while other taxa occur significantly rare. I. spinifer has a wide distributional range. “I. sarsi” seems to be a group of close topical congeners, quite possible that I. sarsi s. str. is an exclusively Neotropical taxon. Three other recorded species are Neotropical endemics. We believe that previous records of I. sordidus (Lévin, 1848) from Brazil were misidentifications, probably of two newly described taxa, or I. sarsi.