The freshwater Diaptomidae (Calanoida : Copepoda) of Southern Africa.

Abstract

Freshwater copepod taxonomy has been neglected

in southern Africa for more than 50 years and this has

placed a constraint on research on the biology and ecology

of this important component of the freshwater invertebrate

fauna. In this review of the calanoid family Diaptomidae

of southern Africa, keys to the freshwater families, the

African genera and southern African species are presented

as well as diagnoses of the family Diaptomidae and the

subfamilies Paradiaptominae and Diaptominae. The genus

Lovenula has been revised. All available information on

each species has been collated. This includes illustrations

of the most important identifying characters, synonymies,

a record of material examined and a map of distribution.

The discovery of 11 new species, four Paradiaptomus,

two, Metadiaptomus and five Tropodiaptomus, indicates

that the diaptomid fauna of southern Africa is more diverse

than was previously envisaged. Biogeography and evolution

of the group is discussed with reference to vicariance,

dispersal and palaeoenvironments of the African continent.

The Paradiaptominae (Lovenula, Paradiaptomus and Metadiaptomus)

are endemic to Africa, while the Diaptominae have

one endemic African genus Thermodiaptomus and the other,

Tropodiaptomus, is not limited to the African continent.

The latter genus has speciated throughout the warmer regions of Africa, with more than 30 described species.

Additional collections from isolated regions will, without

doubt, substantially increase this number. Included in

the account is a glossary of copepod terminology, an explanation

of local limnological terms in current use, and a

gazetteer. Biographical information on the pioneers of

copepod research in southern Africa is included.