CYCLOPINAE Kiefer, 1927


HESPEROCYCLOPS Herbst, 1984


Herbst (1984) established the genus Hesperocyclops, with the species H. improvisus, to accomodate cyclopids from ground waters of West Indies close to Apocyclops Lindberg, but with reduced, 1-segmented female endopodite of P4 and different morphology of P5, genital somite and anal operculum. From the same region, one year later, Pesce (1985) described the species Metacyclops (Apocyclops) stocki, successively removed to the genus Hesperocyclops (da Rocha & Gonzaga de Carvalho Bjornberg, 1987; Petkovski, 1988).

To date, Hesperocyclops is represented by five species from West Indies and South America. The only West Indian species is H. improvisus [= Metacyclops (Apocyclops) stocki], from phreatic (wells) and spring waters of Guadeloupe, Antigua, Aruba and Barbuda; the South American species are: H. inauditus Dussart & Frutos, 1986, from the hyporheic of Parand Medio (Argentina); H. herbsti da Rocha & Gonzaga de Carvalho Bjornberg, 1987, from semiterrestrial habitats. Sao Paulo (Brasil); H. pescei Petkovski, 1988, from cave waters of Cueva del Alto Grande (Colombia) and H. venezuelanus n. sp., from ground waters (a well in North Venezuela).

Recent re-examination of type-material of both H. improvius and Metacyclops (Apocyclops) stocki (Galassi & Pesce, 1992) clearly indicates that the two species are synonymous, the latter being a junior synonym of H. improvisus.



  • Hesperocyclops herbsti Rocha & Bjornberg, 1987 [Brazil; semiterrestrial habitat] (3)

  • Hesperocyclops improvisus Herbst, 1984 [West Indies; ground waters, wells] (1) *

  • Hesperocyclops inauditus Dussart & Frutos, 1986 [Argentina; hyporheic] (2)

  • Hesperocyclops pescei Petkovski, 1988 [Colombia; caves] (4)

  • Hesperocyclops transsaharicus (Lamoot, Dumont and Pensaert, 1981)

  • Hesperocyclops venezuelanus Galassi & Pesce, 1992 [Venezuela; wells] (5)

    * syn. Metacyclops (Apocyclops) stocki Pesce, 1985

    Right: map with the distribution of the genus Hesperocyclops (after Galassi & Pesce, 1992)



    • PSEUDOHESPEROCYCLOPS Brancelj et al. 2024

  • Pseudohesperocyclops loeiensis Brancelj et al. 2024 [Thailand]


    MEGACYCLOPS Kiefer, 1927


  • Megacyclops magnus (Marsh, 1920)
  • Megacyclops viridis viridis (Jurine, 1820) [cosmopolitan; fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops viridis acutulus (Kiefer, 1930) [Java; fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops viridis deserticola (Lindberg, 1936) [Iran; fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops viridis oligotrichus (Monchenko, 1980)
  • Megacyclops viridis takebuensis Ito, 1954 [Japan; fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops viridis ochridensis (Herbst, 1957) [Yugoslavia; lakes]
  • Megacyclops viridis f. elgonensis Loffler, 1968 [Africa; fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops gigas (Claus, 1857) [cosmopolitan, except Australia; fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops latipes (lowndes, 1927) [cosmopolit, except Australia; fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops donnaldsoni donnaldsoni Chappuis, 1929 [north America; fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops donnaldsoni algericus Kiefer, 1930 [north Africa, fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops formosanus Harada, 1931 [China, Formosa; fresh waters]
  • Megacyclops brachypus Kiefer, 1954 [Italy, France; ground waters]
  • Megacyclops dussarti Pesce & Maggi, 1977 [Greece; wells]
  • Megacyclops dussarti orientalis Pesce, Pace & Maggi, 1984
  • Megacyclops minutus Claus, 1863



    MENZELIELLA Lindberg, 1954


  • Menzeliella staheli (Chappuis, 1917) [south America; fresh waters]
  • Menzeliella sp. Defaye & Dussart, 1988 [Guyana; fresh waters] (left)




    • | PAGE UPDATED JUNE 21. 2024 |


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