Macrocrustaceans from Cumbres National Park of Monterrey, Mexico: distribution and conservation status

Abstract

The Cumbres National Park of Monterrey is a protected natural area by the federal government, which isadjacent to the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico. This location has a number of threats to the conservationof ecosystems and biodiversity. The surface water and groundwater are most affected by anthropogenic factors. Inaddition, the knowledge of the aquatic biota of the park is very limited. In this study, 18 species of aquatic and terrestrialcrustaceans living in or adjacent to the national park are recorded. Five species correspond to large branchiopods,10 species are peracarids and 3 species are decapods. The peracarids Sphaerolana karenae Rodríguez-Almaraz yBowman, 1995 and Spelaeomysis villalobosi García-Garza, Rodríguez-Almaraz y Bowman, 1996 and the crayfishProcambarus regiomontanus (Villalobos, 1954) are endemics. Six species are non-native in this protected natural areaand adjacent areas, of which 5 are terrestrial isopods and the red crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852). Thedistribution and conservation status of all macrocrustaceans is discussed.