A new species of Cletocamptus (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) firom Chile and some notes on Cletocamptus axi Mielke, 2000

Some specimens of Cletocamptus were found in Salar de Surire (Chilean Andean plateau) during two sampling trips in October 2004 and October 2005. Although the Chilean material was preliminarily identified as C. axi, after careful inspection, it was clearly a new Chilean Cletocamptus species, C. cecsurirensis. The new species was found to be similar to C. levis, C. sinaloensis, C. fourchensis, C. deborahdexterae, and C. axi in the combination of the armature formula of the mandibular palp, shape of the lateral spinulose element of the maxillulary arthrite, and armature formula of P1-P4. Cletocamptus cecsurirensis and C. levis can be distinguished from C. sinaloensis, C. fourchensis, and C. deborahdexterae by the P1 EXP:ENP length ratio. Cletocamptus cecsurirensis and C. levis can be separated by the P5 baseoendopod:EXP length ratio. Cletocamptus cecsurirensis shows the sexual dimorphism typical for the genus. The new species also shows sexual dimorphism in the rostrum, similar to that found for C. retrogressus, C. albuquerquensis, and C. levis. A complete description of the new Chilean species and some amendments to the original description of C. axi are given.