Elpidium F. Mueller , 1880

Pinto, Ricardo L. & Jocque, Merlijn, 2013, A new species of Elpidium (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from bromeliads in Cusuco National Park, Honduras, ZooKeys 313, pp. 45-59 : 46-47

Genus Elpidium F. Mueller, 1880

Type species

(by original designation): Elpidium bromeliarum F. Müller, 1880.

Other species allocated: Elpidium inaequivalve Danielopol, 1980; Elpidium laesslei (Tressler, 1956) Danielopol, 1980; Elpidium maricaoensis (Tressler, 1941) Danielopol, 1980; Elpidium pintoi Danielopol, 1980; Elpidium purperae Danielopol, 1980.

Diagnosis.

Medium sized to relatively large ostracods; carapace broad, generally bigger in width than in height; ventral margin flat; pale to dark brown smooth surface; in dorsal and ventral view males with greatest width at midlength, females with posterior part expanded into a brood pouch carrying eggs and greatest width displaced posteriorly; strongly interlocking selvages along ventral margin leaving an anteroventral gap between left and right valve margins; hinge a crenulated cardinal bar on the smaller valve forming rudimentary anterior and well developed posterior teeth; A1 with 5 functional articles, the first one bearing a sub-apical expansion with a tuft of tiny setules on the dorsal margin; in males, A2 with a serrated apical claw on the terminal segment (no such serration in females); terminal segment of A2 with a small lobe (hyaline formation) in both males and females; second and third endites of the maxillule bearing two spatulate claws each; copulatory process of hemipenis a hook-like structure placed ventrally on the muscular body, near the base of distal lobe.

Comparison between Elpidium and Intrepidocythere .

Elpidium is closely related ( Pinto et al. 2008) to the terrestrial genus Intrepidocythere Pinto et al., 2008. Nonetheless several differences can be recognized. The carapace of Intrepidocythere is smaller and considerably less broad in dorsal view compared to Elpidium species. Furthermore, the marginal zone and hinge structures are different, while Elpidium has a long bar on the smaller valve ending in a small anterior tooth and a crenulated posterior tooth, Intrepidocythere has a smooth medial ridge and a posterior socket in left valve with the complementary smooth medial groove and posterior tooth in right valve. The antennule has 2 medio-dorsal setae on the fourth segment in Elpidium , but only 1 in Intrepidocythere ; the male antenna has 1 serrated claw on the terminal segment in Elpidium , but 2 in Intrepidocythere ; and the female caudal ramus has three setae in Elpidium , but only two in Intrepidocythere .