Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2009-06-03
Page range: 1–20
Abstract views: 40
PDF downloaded: 2

Tardigrades of the Seychelles Islands, with the description of three new species

Department of Animal Biology “Marcello La Greca”, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania
Department of Animal Biology “Marcello La Greca”, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania
Tardigrada Macrobiotus creber sp.n. Macrobiotus perfidus sp. n. Macrobiotus diguensis sp. n. Seychelles

Abstract

In the context of the project “The Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles”, three species new to science are described (Macrobiotus creber sp. n., Macrobiotus perfidus sp. n. and Macrobiotus diguensis sp. n.) and two species (Macrobiotus madegassus and Minibiotus continuus) are recorded for the Seychelles for the first time. Macrobiotus creber sp. n. belongs to the furciger group but it differs from the members of this group in some metric characters of the buccopharyngeal apparatus, or of the claws, and in some characters of the eggs. Macrobiotus perfidus sp. n. is similar to M. pseudocoronatus but it differs from it in having small cuticular tubercles, in lacking an anterior band of teeth and a less developed posterior ring of triangular teeth in the buccal cavity, in having slightly shorter macroplacoids, slightly longer and slender claws and in characters of the eggs. Macrobiotus diguensis sp. n. is similar to M. snaresensis and M. erminiae but it differs from them in metric characters of the bucco-pharyngeal apparatus, in having more slender claws and in some characters of the eggs.

References

  1. Bertolani, R. & Rebecchi, L. (1993) A revision of the Macrobiotus hufelandi group (Tardigrada, Macrobiotidae) with observations on the taxonomic characters of eutardigrades. Zoologica Scripta, 22, 127–152.

    Binda, M.G. & Pilato, G. (1987) Tardigradi dell’Africa. V. Notizie sui Tardigradi del Nordafrica e descrizione della nuova specie Macrobiotus diffusus. Animalia, 14, 177–191.

    Binda, M.G. & Pilato, G. (1995) Remarks on tardigrades from the Seychelles, with a description of two new species. Tropical Zoology, 8, 1–6.

    Binda, M.G. & Pilato, G. (1999) Macrobiotus erminiae, new species of eutardigrade from southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Entomologische Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum, Hamburg, 13, 151–158.

    Binda, M.G., Pilato, G. & Lisi, O. (2005) Remarks on Macrobiotus furciger Murray, 1906 and description of three new species of the furciger group (Eutardigrada, Macrobiotidae). Zootaxa, 1075, 55–68.

    Biserov, V. (1994) Some tardigrades from the Seychelles with descriptions of three new species. Tropical Zoology, 7, 181–189.

    De Barros, R. (1942) Tardigrados do estado de São Paulo, Brasil. II. Gênero Macrobiotus. Revista Brasileira de Biologia, 2, 373–386.

    Doyère, L. 1840 Mémoire sur les Tardigrades. Annales de Sciences Naturelles (Zoologie), 14, 269–361.

    Durante Pasa, M.V. & Maucci, W. (1979) Moss tardigrada from the Scandinavian Peninsula. Zeszyty Naukowe Universytetu Jagellonskiego, Prace Zoologiczne, DXXIX, 25, 47–85.

    Horning, D.S., Schuster, R.O. & Grigarick, A.A. (1978) Tardigrada of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 5, 185–280.

    Marcus, E. (1936) Tardigrada. In: Das Tierreich, 66, 1–340. Ed.Walter De Gryuiter, Berlin und Leipzig.

    Maucci, W. (1993) Prime notizie su tardigradi “terrestri” del Madagascar con descrizione di tre specie nuove. Bollettino del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Verona, 17, 381–392.

    Murray, J. (1906) Scottish national Antarctic expedition: Tardigrada of the South Orkneys. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, XLV, II, 12, 323–334.

    Murray, J. (1907a) Scottish Tardigrades collected by the Lake Survey. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, XLV, III, 24, 641–668.

    Murray, J. (1907b) Arctic Tardigrada collected by Wm. S. Bruce. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, XLV, III, 25, 669–681.

    Murray, J. (1910) Tardigrada. Reports of the Scientific Investigations of the British Antarctic Expedition,1907–1909, 1, 5, 81–185.

    Murray, J. (1911) Arctiscoidea. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 31, 1–16.

    Pilato, G. (1981) Analisi di nuovi caratteri nello studio degli Eutadigradi. Animalia, 8, 51–57.

    Pilato, G. & Binda, M.G. (1991) Milnesium tetralamellatum, new species of Milnesiidae from Africa (Eutardigrada). Tropical Zoology, 4, 103–106.

    Pilato, G. & Lisi, O. (2006a) Macrobiotus rigidus sp. nov., new species of eutardigrade from New Zealand. Zootaxa, 1109, 49–55.

    Pilato, G. & Lisi, O. (2006b) Notes on tardigrades from southern Mexico with description of three new species. Zootaxa, 1236, 53–68.

    Pilato, G. & Lisi, O. (2009) Description of three new species of Tardigrada from the Seychelles. Zootaxa, 2005, 24–34.

    Pilato, G. & Sperlinga, G. (1975) Tardigradi muscicoli di Sardegna. Animalia, 2, 79–90.

    Pilato, G., Binda, M.G. & Catanzaro, O. (1991) Remarks on some tardigrades of the African fauna with the description of three new species of Macrobiotus Schultze, 1834. Tropical Zoology, 4, 167–178.

    Pilato, G., Binda, M.G. & Lisi, O. (2002) Notes on tardigrades of the Seychelles with the description of two new species. Bollettino delle sedute dell’Accademia Gioenia di Scienze Naturali, Catania, 35, 361, 503–517.

    Pilato, G., Binda, M.G. & Lisi, O. (2004) Notes on tardigrades of the Seychelles with the description of three new species. Italian Journal of Zoology, 71, 171–178.

    Pilato, G., Binda, M.G. & Lisi, O. (2006) Three new species of eutardigrades from the Seychelles. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 33, 39–48.

    Pilato, G., Binda, M.G., Napolitano, A. & Moncada, E. (2000) The specific value of Macrobiotus coronatus De Barros 1942, and description of two new species of the harmsworthi group (Eutardigrada). Bollettino delle sedute dell’Accademia Gioenia di Scienze Naturali, Catania, 33, 358, 103–120.

    Pilato, G., Claxton, S. & Binda, M.G. (1989) Tardigrades from Australia. III. Echiniscus marcusi and Macrobiotus peteri, new species of tardigrades from New South Wales. Animalia, 16, 43–48.

    Plate, L.H. (1888) Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte der Tardigraden. Zoologische Jahrbücher, 3, 487–550.

    Richters, F. (1902) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Fauna und Umgebung von Frankfurt a. M. Bericht über die senckenbergische Naturforschunde Gesellschaft, 3–21.

    Van der Land, J. (1966) The Tardigrada of the Scottish Lake Survey described as new species by James Murray. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Edinburgh, 69, 298–320.