Numerous samples of oculate Asellus from eastern Siberia and the Japanese Islands, one from southern China, and one from Alaska, have been studied. The epigean fresh waters of this large Asiatic region generally harbour populations identified as Asellus (Asellus) hilgendorfii Bovallius, 1886, or some of its geographical forms previously considered as species, subspecies, or not yet named. The “hilgendorfii” complex seems to possess the dimension of a superspecies. A new pigmented-oculate species, Asellus (Asellus) levanidovorum is sympatric with A. (A.) hilgendorfii in the lake Bolon region (lower part of the Amur River basin) and is present also in the Sakhalin and Kunashir Islands. Its copulatory organ (endopodite of male 2nd pleopod) shows a large... |