On two new species of the genus Vestalenula Rossetti & Martens, 1998 (Crustacea, Ostracoda, Darwinulidae) from semiterrestrial habitats in Säo Paulo State (Brazil)

Abstract

Two new species of semiterrestrial darwinulid ostracods, both belonging to the pagliolii-lineage of the genus Vestalenula, are described here. Vestalenula botocuda sp. nov., collected from moist mud in a rain forest remnant, is an enigmatic species, as it combines valve characters of the boteai-lineage with soft part features of the danielopoli-lineage within the genus. Vestalenula irajai sp. nov., found in several types of semiterrestrial habitats, is closely related to V. pagliolii in its soft part morphology, but has more elongated valves, with straight dorsal and ventral margins running parallel to each other. The description of these new species confirms the relatively high levels of endemicity and diversity in Southern Hemisphere Vestalenula and challenges earlier classifications of this group. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London.