Attheyella (Brehmiella) trispinosa (Brady, 1880)

KARPOWICZ, Maciej, 2016, New data to the knowledge on the Harpacticoida (Crustacea, Copepoda) fauna in Poland, Fragmenta Faunistica 59 (2), pp. 87-98 : 90

Attheyella (Brehmiella) trispinosa (Brady, 1880)

(Figs 10–11)

Location, ecology. The species was found among aquatic vegetation in lakes and rivers. High numbers of A. trispinosa up to 160 indiv. l −1 were recorded in Stratiotes aloides habitats in Lake Tyrkło and Bełdany in the Masurian Lakeland ( Karpowicz et al. 2016). Many male-female tandems were observed (Fig. 11). In the pre-copulatory (phase preceding mating) the male harpacticoid grasps the caudal rami of the female with its first antenna ( Glatzel 1988).

General distribution and biology. Lowland water bodies of Europe, North Africa and Asia ( Borutzky 1952). Widespread in Poland ( Błędzki 2004). The range of the subgenus Brehmiella is mostly restricted to the Holarctic region ( Borutzky 1952).

D i s t i n g ui s h i n g f e a t ur e s. Relatively large species, length of female without caudal setae 0.72–0.84 mm. Caudal rami short, slightly tapering distally. Endopodite and exopodite of P1 three-segmented (Fig. 10). First segment of P1 endopodite as long as whole exopodite of P1 (Fig. 10). Diagnostic features of the species include also structure of P 5 in both sexes.