Genus Vestalenula Rossetti & Martens, 1998
Superfamily: Darwinuloidea Brady & Robertson, 1885
Family: Darwinulidae Brady & Robertson, 1885
Five species have been reported from Japan:
1. Vestalenula cornelia Smith et al. 2006 
- Figures in: Smith et al. 2006.
- Habitat: Runoff of springs.
- Mode of life: Benthic.
- Reproductive mode: Asexual? (rare males have been found so sexual reproduction cannot be ruled out, Smith et al. 2006).
- Known distribution: Kagoshima Prefecture; Ishikawa Prefecture; Ogasawara islands (Smith et al. 2006).
- References:
- ⚬ Smith, R. J., Kamiya, T. & Horne, D. J. 2006. Living males of the 'ancient' asexual Darwinulidae (Ostracoda, Crustacea). Proceedings of the Royal Society, B, 273, 1569-1578.
2. Vestalenula cylindrica (Straub, 1952)
Lateral left view of a female Vestalenula cylindrica. Length about 0.47 mm.
Dorsal view of a female Vestalenula cylindrica, anterior to left. Length about 0.47 mm.
External view of a left valve of a female Vestalenula cylindrica. Length 457 microns.
External view of a right valve of a female Vestalenula cylindrica. Length 443 microns.
- Additional figures in: Smith & Janz 2009.
- Habitat: Lake Biwa shoreline, most abundant on willow tree root mats.
- Mode of life: Benthic.
- Reproductive mode: Asexual (males unknown).
- Known distribution: Shiga Prefecture (Smith & Janz 2009). Elsewhere, known from Korea (Chang et al. 2012).
- References:
- ⚬ Chang C. Y., Lee, J. & Smith, R. J. 2012. Nonmarine ostracods (Crustacea) from South Korea, including a description of a new species of Tanycypris Triebel (Cyprididae, Cypricercinae). Zootaxa, 3161, 1-19.
- ⚬ Smith, R. J. & Janz, H. 2009. Recent ostracods of the superfamilies Cytheroidea and Darwinuloidea (Crustacea) from Lake Biwa, a Japanese ancient lake. Species Diversity, 14, 217-241.
3. Vestalenula gravata Smith & Chang, 2022
- Figures in: Smith & Chang 2022.
- Habitat: Sediment of shallow streams.
- Mode of life: Benthic.
- Reproductive mode: Asexual.
- Known distribution: Nagasaki Prefecture (Tsushima).
- References:
- ⚬ Smith, R. J. & Chang, C. Y. 2022. Two new species of non-marine Ostracoda (Crustacea) of the genera Vestalenula Rossetti & Martens, 1998 (Darwinuloidea) and Microloxoconcha Hartmann, 1954 (Cytheroidea) from Tsushima, Japan, and a summary of the non-marine ostracod fauna of the island. Zootaxa, 5150 (4), 529-555.
4. Vestalenula lundi (Neale & Victor, 1978)
Lateral left view of a female Vestalenula lundi. Length about 0.43 mm.
Dorsal view of a female Vestalenula lundi, anterior to left. Length about 0.43 mm.
External view of a left valve of a female Vestalenula lundi. Length 427 microns.
External view of a right valve of a female Vestalenula lundi. Length 405 microns.
- Additional figures in: Neale & Victor, 1978; Smith & Janz 2009.
- Habitat: Beaches around Lake Biwa.
- Mode of life: Interstitial.
- Reproductive mode: Asexual (males unknown).
- Known distribution: Shiga Prefecture (Smith & Janz 2009). Elsewhere, known from Sri Lanka (Neale and Victor 1978).
- References:
- ⚬ Neale, J. W. & Victor, R. 1978. The Lund University Expedition freshwater Ostracoda from Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Canadian Journal of Zoology 56: 1081-1087.
- ⚬ Smith, R. J. & Janz, H. 2009. Recent ostracods of the superfamilies Cytheroidea and Darwinuloidea (Crustacea) from Lake Biwa, a Japanese ancient lake. Species Diversity, 14, 217-241.
5. Vestalenula molopoensis (Martens & Rossetti, 1997)
Lateral left view of a female Vestalenula molopoensis. Length about 0.45 mm.
Dorsal view of a female Vestalenula molopoensis, anterior to left. Length about 0.45 mm.
External view of a left valve of a female Vestalenula molopoensis. Length 451 microns.
External view of a right valve of a female Vestalenula molopoensis. Length 437 microns.
- Additional figures in: Martens & Rossetti 1997; Smith & Janz 2009.
- Habitat: Beaches around Lake Biwa.
- Mode of life: Interstitial.
- Reproductive mode: Asexual (males unknown).
- Known distribution: Shiga Prefecture (Smith & Janz 2009). Elsewhere, known from South Africa (Martens & Rossetti 1997) and Thailand (Savatenalinton et al. 2008).
- References:
- ⚬ Martens, K. and Rossetti, G. 1997. On two new species of Darwinula Brady and Robertson, 1885 (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from South African dolomitic springs. Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Biologie 67: 57-66.
- ⚬ Savatenalinton, S., Borgonie, G. and Martens, K. 2008. On Thaicythere srisumonae n. gen., n.sp. (Ostracoda) from Thailand, with notes on the phylogeny of the subfamily Timiriaseviinae Mandelstam, 1960. Crustaceana 81: 411-432.
- ⚬ Smith, R. J. & Janz, H. 2009. Recent ostracods of the superfamilies Cytheroidea and Darwinuloidea (Crustacea) from Lake Biwa, a Japanese ancient lake. Species Diversity, 14, 217 - 241.