Review of the southern African Leptestheriidae (Branchiopoda: Spinicaudata), II: Diagnoses and key

Abstract

We review and revise the southern African species of Leptestheria Daday, 1913 (Leptestheriidae) based on type specimens when possible as well as on new material. We recognise four species out of the six hitherto reported from the region south of the Kunene, Okavango, and Zambezi rivers. Leptestheria inermis (Barnard, 1929) is shown to be a junior synonym of L. calcarata (Wolf in Daday, 1923), L. striatoconchaBarnard, 1924, and L. rubidgei (Baird, 1862) junior synonyms of L. siliqvaSars, 1898. Leptestheria setosa (Barnard, 1935) is clearly defined with quantifiable diagnostic characters. A key to the species of Leptestheria of southern Africa is presented as an aid to additional surveys and conservation efforts.