![Sample our Environment & Agriculture journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5934/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Agriculture.jpg"})
Abstract
Paramorariopsis irenae n. sp. is the second species of the genus, which was described for the first time 15 years ago from a small cave in the southern part of Slovenia. The new species is closely related to Paramorariopsis anae Brancelj, Citation1991. The main differences are found in the ornamentation of caudal rami, abdominal somites and legs P2–P4, while P5 are very similar. It was initially assumed that the genus represented a member of the community inhabiting wet mosses near the cave's entrance. It can now be confirmed that it belongs to a specific community of Copepoda in the epikarst (i.e. part of the unsaturated karst zone). So far two genera are recognised as exclusively epikarstic: Morariopsis Kiefer, Citation1930 and Paramorariopsis Brancelj, Citation1991. Both genera were for a long time considered as monospecific with restricted distribution. Intensive sampling of the epikarst zone in Slovenia and Italy revealed that many genera, previously assumed as “rare”, are in fact common, widely distributed, and show a considerable level of specific endemicity. Morphological adaptations of taxa specific for the epikarst are discussed along with detailed discussion on habitat and sampling methods developed for that habitat.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express special thanks to my student Mr Andrej Kapla, who spent many hours in small, narrow and muddy caves collecting Copepoda from pools in the epikarst zone. Due to his enthusiastic work, our knowledge on the distribution of epikarst Copepoda increased considerably. Many thanks to Mrs Andreja Jerebic who processed water samples from the epikarstic caves and to Dr Rony Huys who made comments on the first version of the paper and contributed to linguistic improvements of the text.