Two new species of copepods of the genus
Elaphoidella Chappuis, 1929 were discovered in a cave and a spring in northeastern Thailand. The first species,
E. phuphamanensis sp. nov., belongs to species-group VII
sensu Lang. It is most similar to
E. turgisetosa Petkovski,
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Two new species of copepods of the genus
Elaphoidella Chappuis, 1929 were discovered in a cave and a spring in northeastern Thailand. The first species,
E. phuphamanensis sp. nov., belongs to species-group VII
sensu Lang. It is most similar to
E. turgisetosa Petkovski, 1980 in the armament of the male third exopod of the fourth swimming leg and the shape and armament of the fifth swimming leg in both sexes. However, it is easily distinguished from other congeners by the segmentation of the first swimming leg, the endopod of the fourth swimming leg, and the armature of the third exopod of swimming legs 2–4 in both sexes. The second species,
E. propecabezasi sp. nov., is located in species-group I
sensu Lang, where the male does not have a transformed seta on the third exopod of the fourth swimming leg and the female fifth swimming leg has four baseoendopodal robust setae, unequal in length. It is most similar to
E. cabezasi Petkovski, 1982 and
E. paraaffinis Watiroyram, Sanoamuang and Brancelj, 2017 in having the same armature formula as endopods 1–2 of female swimming legs 1–4. However, the ornamentation of the anal operculum, the shape of the caudal ramus, and the armature of the fifth swimming leg in both sexes distinguish them from each other. A rare gynandromorphic specimen of
E. propecabezasi sp. nov. was recorded, and a revised key to
Elaphoidella species in Southeast Asia is provided.
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