Diagnosing Eulimnadia and Paralimnadia (Branchiopoda: Spinicaudata: Limnadiidae)

摘要

Eulimnadia and Paralimnadia are both strongly supported,monophyletic limnadiid lineages based on molecular studies. However, defining the two taxamorphologically relies on the presence/absence of a subcercopodal spiniform projection;otherwise there is considerable overlap and confusion in morphological characters betweenthe two taxa. The most discriminatory of these characters are examined here and applied toAustralasian species. As a result, five Eulimnadia species aretransferred to Paralimnadia. These characters are then applied to worldEulimnadia species and other limnadiid genera which share key featureswith Eulimnadia.