Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 100 B 539 - 594 Wien, Dezember 1998 Checklist and distribution of the free-living copepods (Arthropoda: Crustacea) from Austria S. Gaviria* Abstract A species list of 109 free-living copepod species (16 calanoids, 48 cyclopoids, 45 harpacticoids) inhabiting water bodies and semi-terrestrial biotopes from Austria is given. A total of 850 records all around the country are listed. For each species the following information is presented: synonyms, known localities in Austria, general distribution in the country and in the world and worldwide types of inhabited biotopes. Distribution maps for most of the calanoid and cyclopoid species are presented. Four species of cyclopoid species are new for the country: Paracyclops poppei, Acanthocyclops kieferi, A. rhenanus, Graeteriella laisi, the for- mer from benthos of tributaries of the Danube, the latter three from groundwater. A temorid calanoid, Eurytemora velox, was found as new immigrant into the Danube. Key words: Copepoda, Austria, inventory, distribution. Zusammenfassung In der vorliegenden Arbeit ist eine Liste der 109 freilebenden Copepoden-Arten (16 Calanoida, 48 Cyclopoida, 45 Harpacticoida) aus verschiedenen österreichischen Gewässern angeführt. Es wurden dafür insgesamt 850 Fundmeldungen berücksichtigt. Für jede Art ist folgende Information angeschlossen: Synony- mia, Fundorte in Österreich, allgemeine Verteilung im Land und in der Welt sowie die Typen von Biotopen, in denen die Art welteit auftritt. Die Verbreitung der Calanoiden- und Cyclopoiden-Arten ist kartographisch darge- stellt. Vier Cyclopoiden-Arten (Paracyclops poppei, Acanthocyclops kieferi, A. rhenanus, Graeteriella laisi) sind neu für Österreich; P. poppei wurde im Benthal von Donauzubringern, die drei anderen Arten im Grund- wasser gefunden. Der Calanoide Eurytemora velox ist ein neuer Einwanderer in der österreichischen Donau. Introduction Within the 3 orders of Copepoda living in freshwater and semi-terrestrial biotopes in Austria, only the harpacticoids have been previously inventorised (LÖFFLER & NEUHUBER 1970). Based on 128 records, these authors listed 37 species. Faunistic or ecological surveys done over the last 3 decades, especially in groundwater (KIEFER 1976; DANIELOPOL 1983; POSPISIL 1994), Alpine lakes and ponds (REED 1970; JERSABEK & SCHABETSBERGER 1990) and rivers (KOWARC 1992; MOOG & al. 1995; GAVIRIA, 1994 and in press), to- gether with unpublished data (V. Kowarc, "Arge Ökologie", Wien, and the author), added 103 records for the country and the number of species increased to 45. The checklist of species of Calanoida and Cyclopoida has been elaborated based on published and unpublished data as well. Authors who specifically contributed to the survey of both orders are BREHM (1907, 1909, 1915, 1942), BREHM & RUTTNER (1926), PESTA Dr. Santiago Gaviria, Institute of Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A- 1090 Vienna, Austria. ©Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at