Echiniscus barbarae, a new species of tardigrade from Cuba Island (Tardigrada: Heterotardigrada, Echiniscidae, ‘ arctomys group’)
Author
Kaczmarek, Ukasz
Author
Michalczyk, Ukasz
text
Zootaxa
2002
53
1
4
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.156129
94d95400-14ef-4a56-90f6-153af063ed88
11755326
156129
F1BD1E39-7E3A-41F2-835D-EFD1CFBD779D
Echiniscus barbarae
sp. nov.
(
Figs 15
)
Description
Holotype
(
Fig. 35
): Male. Length 190 µm. Colour red. Eye spots absent. Cuticle without pores. Apart from head appendages, only lateral appendages “A” present. Dorsal plates well developed and covered with round, well visible granules (
Fig. 3
). Granules variable in size (13 µm in diameter), larger on scapular and on terminal plates, especially in middle. Paired plates divided into two unequal portions by a transverse stripe of smaller granules (1 µm in diameter). Anteriolateral parts of paired plates with small but distinct, unornamented region. Median plates 1 and 2 well developed. Median plate 3 absent but area between paired plates 2 and terminal plate with granules. Terminal plate with a pair of large (15 µm long) incisions.
Appendages “A” 28 µm long (14.7% of the body length). Length of cirrus internus and externus: 12 and 14 µm, respectively. Cephalic papilla 5 µm long and 4 µm wide at base. Clava 5 µm long and 2,5 µm wide at base. Small spines (3 µm long) present on first pair of legs; papilla on hind legs 5 µm long and 3 µm wide at base. On hind legs a dentate fringe with 11 small teeth present; area above this fringe granulated. Claws of IV pair of legs 17 µm long (
Fig. 45
). Spurs (2 µm long) present on internal claws of all legs.
Two
paratypes
are shown: scanning electron (
Fig. 1
) and phase contrast (
Fig. 2
) micrographs.
The results of simple statistical analysis for
15 specimens
(
12 females
and
3 males
) of
E. barbarae
sp. nov.
are shown in
Tab. 1
.
Type
locality
Cuba
Island; Sierra de Organo;
V. 2001
; leg. B. Kaczmarek; moss from rock in the “Indian Cave”.
Etymology
We take great pleasure in dedicating this species in honor of the eminent Polish tardigradologist, Prof. Barbara Wêglarska of Jagiellonian University.
Material examined
The
holotype
and 5
paratypes
are preserved at the Department of Entomology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków,
Poland
; 7
paratypes
are preserved at the Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, A. Mickiewicz University, Poznañ,
Poland
; 2
paratypes
are preserved in the collection of Binda and Pilato (Department of Animal Biology, University of Catania,
Italy
).