Tardigrades from Portugal: four new records and description of two new species

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2009

Authors

Paulo Fontoura (Author) FCUP; Giovanni Pilato (Author) Other; Oscar Lisi (Author) Other; Paulo Morais (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Zootaxa

Pages: 21-38

ISSN: 1175-5326

Publisher: Magnolia Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 7 Citations

Scopus - 8 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-MJ4

Abstract (EN): Six species of Eutardigrada are recorded from Portugal; four of them, Macrobiotus crenulatus Richters, 1904, Hypsibius seychellensis Pilato, Binda & Lisi, 2006, Diphascon (Diphascon) pingue (Marcus, 1936) and D. (Diphascon) patanei Binda & Pilato, 1971 are recorded for the first time in Portugal. Two species, Minibiotus orthofasciatus sp. nov. and Bertolanius (new name of Amphibolus) portucalensis sp. nov. are new to science. Minibiotus orthofasciatus sp. nov. is one of the species of the genus with three macroplacoids, microplacoid and cuticular pores forming transverse bands. The new species differs from all existing species by one or more of the following characters: distribution of the pores, shape of the pores, absence of dots on the legs, level of insertion of the stylet supports on the buccal tube. To the new species is attributed an unembryonated egg similar to those of Minibiotus intermedius (Plate, 1888), M. poricinctus Claxton, 1998, M. floriparus Claxton, 1998, and M. weglarskae Michalczyk, Kaczmarek & Claxton, 2005 but different from them in some details. Bertolanius portucalensis sp. nov. is very similar to the other species of the genus, but it differs from them in having very small cuticular tubercles. From some of them it differs by characters of the bucco-pharyngeal apparatus and/or of the eggs. This is the first record of the genus and of the Eohypsibiidae family in the Iberian Peninsula.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific