Alona kaingang (Crustacea, Cladocera, Aloninae): a new species of the pulchella-group, with identification key to Neotropical species

摘要

Background The subfamily Aloninae has been the focus of extensive studies on the Chydoridae because it has a higher diversity of species and due to the necessity of a detailed redescription of many taxa, especially using characters related to thoracic appendages. The polyphyletic genus Alona was redefined recently, and many species complexes were translocated to natural groups. The pulchella-group is a candidate for removal from Alona because it forms a well-defined complex of species, besides possessing higher species diversity. At present, 50 % of the known species occur in the Neotropics.