Freshwater invertebrates especially species from temporary ponds are suitable model organisms for studying of dispersal mechanisms in their discontinous habitats. Tadpole shrimp Lepidurus apus (Notostraca) is restricted to vernal temporary waters in floodplain areas of big rivers. This Master's thesis is concentrated on survey of genetic variability and structure of L. apus population from Central Europe. Mitochondrial COI analysis of 45 specimens mostly from the Czech Republic indicates that all Central European specimens falls into the subspecies L. apus apus and also indicates low level of genetic variability and structure (on average 0,2 %). These results are confronted with other notostracan species, additionally with czech populations of coldstenothermal brine shrimp Eubranchipus grubii (Anostraca) and possible reasons of the low values are discussed.