The Canthocamptidae are harpacticoids living in continental waters, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, in about all types of water bodies and wetlands. The family contains today more than 700 species, 500 of which are ascribed to the complex Attheyella-Elaphoidella-Bryocamptus. The presence of a prehensile P1 endopodite let us to consider Attheyella (Mrazekiella) and Canthocamptus as probably the most primitive freshwater Canthocamptidae

From a biogeographical point of view the distribution of the Canthocamptidae indicates a Pangean origin, and a vicariant biogeography, with indications that the most primitive groups are Holarctic-Laurasian. Several genera, such as Canthocamptus, Arcticocamptus, Attheyella s.str., Mrazekiella, and Moraria, are typically holarctic.

Genus Mesochra Boeck 1864

Mesochra aestuarii Gurney, 1921 4
Mesochra armoricana Monard, 1935 4 (NEW ENTRY)
Mesochra heldti Monard, 1935 4
Mesochra lilljeborgi Boeck 1864 N S 4
Mesochra pontica marcus, 1965 4
Mesochra pygmaea (Claus 1863) Sa 3, 4

Genus Orthopyllus Brady & Robertson, 1873

Orthopyllus linearis (Claus, 1866) 3

Genus Nannomesochra Gurney, 1932

Nannomesochra arupinensis (Brian, 1925) 4

Genus Canthocamptus Westwood 1836

Canthocamptus staphylinus (Jurine 1820) N S Si Sa

Genus Paracamptus Chappuis 1929

Paracamptus schmeili (Mrazek 1893) N S

Genus Attheyella Brady 1880

Attheyella (Attheyella) crassa (G.O. Sars 1862) N S Si Sa
Attheyella (Attheyella) wierzejskii (Mrazek 1893) N

Attheyella (Mrazekiella) dentata (Poggenpol 1864) S
Attheyella (Mrazekiella) paranaphtalica Pesce & Galassi 1988 S Si
Attheyella (Mrazekiella) trispinosa (Brady 1880) N Sa
Attheyella (Mrazekiella) wulmeri (De Kerherv 1914) S

Genus Maraenobiotus Mrazek 1893

The genus Maraenobiotus mostly includes moss and interstitial species, three of which are known for Europe: Maraenobiotus vejdovski Mrazek. 1893 (with the subspecies anglicus Gurney, 1932; tenuispinus Roy, 1924; truncatus Gurney, 1932; zschokkei Kreis, 1920); Maraenobiotus brucei (Richard, 1898) with the subspecies brucei Chappuis, 1928, carpathicus Chappuis, himalayensis Chappuis, 1928 1928 and caucasicus Borutzky, 1934; Maraenobiotus insignipes (Lilljeborg, 1902) with the subspecies insignipes (Lilljeborg, 1902) and alpinus Keilhack, 1909. The subspecies M. vejdovskyi truncatus Gurney, 1932, owing to its overlapping geonemy with the nominal species, could be considered synonym of Maraenobiotus vejdovskyi (Pesce et al., 1994). The following species are presently known for Italy:

Maraenobiotus insignipes (Lilljeborg 1902) N
Maraenobiotus vejdovskyi Mrazek 1893 N S

Genus Epactophanes Mrazek 1893

Epactophanes is a questionablke genus, and its definition is still debated. According to most authors it should include a single species, Epactophanes richardi, which shows a wide distribution and variability, with numerous questionable subspecies. Recently Bruno & Cottarelli (1999) described the second species in the genus, Epactophanes philippinus, from ground waters of Philippines.

Epactophanes richardi Mrazek 1893 N S

Genus Moraria T. Scott & A. Scott 1893

Moraria alpina Stoch, 1998 N * (NEW ENTRY)
Moraria brevipes (G.O.Sars 1863) N S Sa
Moraria denticulata Chappuis 1938 S E
Moraria frondicola Klie 1943 N **
Moraria michielettoae Brian 1955 N E M [VU D2]
Moraria mrazeki T. Scott 1903 N
Moraria poppei (Mrazek 1893) N S
Moraria ruffoi Stoch, in press N
Moraria varica (Graeter 1911) N

* Some records of Moraria brevipes from the Alpine region could be referred to this species (Stoch, 1998)
** questionable species

Genus Morariopsis Borutzky 1934

Morariopsis insoletus (Chappuis, 1928) (N) [E]
Morariopsis scotenophila (Kiefer 1930) N *

* incertae sedis

Genus Itunella Brady 1896

Itunella muelleri (Gagern 1923) S
Itunella intermedia Apostolov, 1975 Sa (NEW ENTRY)

Genus Ceuthonectes Chappuis 1923

The stygobitic genus Ceuthonectes at present includes ten, for the most part phreatic and endemic species; only Ceuthonectes serbicus Chappuis, 1924 is widespread in different groundwater habitats of Slovenia, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia.

The species Ceuthonectes colchidanus, described by Borutzky (1930) as Moraroides colchidana from Georgia, was firstly synonymized by the same author with Ceuthonectes serbicus (Borutzky, 1952, 1972). In the present list, following Rouch (1980), Petkovski (1984), Cottarelli & Saporito (1985) and Karanovic (1999), the two species are considered distinct taxa.

Ceuthonectes serbicus Chappuis 1924 N
Ceuthonectes pescei Cottarelli & Saporito 1985 Sa E M [VU D1]

Genus Bryocamptus Chappuis 1928

Bryocamptus (Bryocamptus) minutus (Claus 1863) N S Si Sa
Bryocamptus (Bryocamptus) vejdovskyi (Mrazek 1893) N

Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) balcanicus (Kiefer, 1933) N (NEW ENTRY)
Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) dentatus Chappuis 1937 S
Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) pygmaeus (Sars 1863) N S Si Sa
Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) typhlops (Mrazek 1893) N S
Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) unisaetosus Kiefer 1930 N
Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) zschokkei zschokkei (Schmeil 1893) N Si
Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) zschokkei tatraensis (Minkiewicz 1916) N

Bryocamptus (Arcticocamptus) cuspidatus (Schmeil 1893) N S
Bryocamptus (Arcticocamptus) rhaeticus (Schmeil 1893) N S

Bryocamptus (Limocamptus) dacicus (Chappuis 1923) N
Bryocamptus (Limocamptus) echinatus (Mrazek 1893) N S Si

Genus Echinocamptus Chappuis 1928

Echinocamptus georgevitchi (Chappuis 1927) N
Echinocamptus pilosus (Van Douwe 1911) N

Genus Elaphoidella s.l. Chappuis, 1928

The genus Elaphoidella s.l., with more than two hundred described species and subspecis, is, after Parastenocaris, the largest and widespread copepod genus.

Apostolov (1985, 1988), according to the oligomerization of the swimming legs and the setation of the antennal exopodite, splitted the genus Elaphoidella into five genera, viz. Elaphoidella s. str., Elaphoidellopsis, Stygoelaphoidella, Neoelaphoidella and Praelaphoidella, suggesting as well the subdivision of Elaphoidella s. str. into two morphological groups, viz. gracilis-group and simplex-group, embracing species characterized by 6 or 4/5 setae on the distal article of the exopodite of leg 4, respectively.

The separation of the nominate genera has been critically discussed by Reid (1990), who pointed out mutual inconsistencies in the diagnosis of the new proposed genera, as well as several omissions and blunders in Apostolov's World key of the genus, and later on by Karanovic (1998) who considers that made by Apostolov "one unsuccessful attempt of revision of the genus Elaphoidella".

Hamond (1987) observed that old species descriptions and drawings of Canthocamptidae do not always agree with modern description standards and, in many cases, such defective descriptions could greatly confuse the status of some genera and subgenera in this family; in the same occasion, returned many genera within the family Canthocamptidae, including Elaphoidella s. str. to subgeneric status of the genus Canthocamptus Westwood. Hamond's statement has been recently supported by Hishida (1994) who described a new Elaphoidella from Nepal showing transitional characteristics between Elaphoidella and Attheyella, confirming as well the need of a World revision of the genera within the family Canthocamptidae.

In the present list, pending a comprehensive revision of the genus Elaphoidella, as well as of the family Canthocamptidae, and sharing Reid's and Karanovic's objections, the name Elaphoidella s. l. is provisionally proposed for all the species in the genus.

Elaphoidella apostolovi Pesce & De Laurentiis 1994 S E (NEW ENTRY)
Elaphoidella aprutina Pesce, Galassi & Apostolov 1987 S E M [LR]
Elaphoidella bidens bidens (Schmeil 1894) N
Elaphoidella bidens coronata (G.O. Sars 1904) N S
Elaphoidella dubia (Kiefer 1931) N E
Elaphoidella cottarellii Pesce & De Laurentiis 1993 (1996) S E M [LR] (NEW ENTRY)
Elaphoidella cvetkae Petkovski 1983 N
Elaphoidella elaphoides (Chappuis 1923) S Si
Elaphoidella gracilis (G.O.Sars 1862) N S Sa
Elaphoidella italica Pesce, Galassi & Apostolov 1987 S Si E
Elaphoidella janas Cottarelli & Bruno 1994 Sa
Elaphoidella jeanneli (Chappuis 1928) N
Elaphoidella mabelae Galassi & Pesce 1991 S E M [LR]
Elaphoidella nuragica Pesce & Galassi 1986 Sa E
Elaphoidella oglasae Cottarelli & Torrisi 1974 Sa E
Elaphoidella paraelaphoides Pesce, Galassi & Apostolov 1987 S E
Elaphoidella phreatica (Chappuis 1925) N S
Elaphoidella pseudophreatica (Chappuis 1928) N
[syn. of E. phreatica according to Pesce & Galassi, 1983]
Elaphoidella plutonis plutonis Chappuis 1938 S E *
Elaphoidella plutonis quadrispinosa Chappuis 1938 S E
[questionable taxon according to Pesce & Galassi, 1983]
Elaphoidella ruffoi Chappuis 1953 N E
Elaphoidella subplutonis Pesce, Galassi & Apostolov 1987 S E
Elaphoidella tiberina Pesce & Galassi 1983 S E

* syn. Elaphoidella rossellae Pesce, Galassi & Apostolov 1987

Genus Hypocamptus Chappuis 1929

Hypocamptus brehmi (Van Douwe 1922) S

Genus Lessinocamptus Stoch 1997

Lessinocamptus caoduroi Stoch 1997 N E M [VU D2] (NEW ENTRY)
Lessinocamptus insoletus (Chappuis 1928) N E M [VU D2] (NEW ENTRY)
Lessinocamptus pivai Stoch 1997 N E M [VU D2] (NEW ENTRY)

Family Cylindropsyllidae Sars, 1909

Genus Cylinula Coull, 1971

Cylinula arganoi Cottarelli & Venanzetti, 1989 3

Genus Stenocaris G. O. Sars, 1909

Stenocaris minor (T. Scott, 1892) 4

Genus Stenocaropsis Apostolov, 1982

Stenocaropsis similis Cottarelli & Venanzetti, 1989 3

Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) unisaetosus: Secondo Petkovski (1972) la specie č sinonimo di B. (R.) typhlops.

Echinocamptus georgevitchi: Secondo Lang (1948) la specie č molto affine ad E. pilosus.

Elaphoidella plutonis: Č stata descritta, per l'Italia meridionale, anche una sottospecie E. p. quadrispinosa Chappuis, 1938, di cui Pesce & Galassi (1983) mettono in dubbio la validitą.

Elaphoidella pseudophreatica: La specie č messa in sinonimia con E. phreatica da Pesce & Galassi, 1983; per Dussart (1990) si tratterebbe di una sottospecie di tale specie.

Itunella muelleri: Nota di acque salmastre e salate; a Ischia (S) si rinviene anche in acqua dolce.

Morariopsis scotenophila: Specie incertae sedis per Borutzky (1952) [from:CHECKLIST OF THE SPECIES OF THE ITALIAN FAUNA by F. Stoch (http://www.faunaitalia.it/checklist/)]