Macrobiotus macrocalix Bertolani & Rebecchi 1993

Guil, Noemí, 2008, New records and within-species variability of Iberian tardigrades (Tardigrada), with comments on the species from the Echiniscus blumi-canadensis series, Zootaxa 1757, pp. 1-30 : 22

Macrobiotus macrocalix Bertolani & Rebecchi 1993

A total of 116 specimens and 106 eggs were isolated from MR samples. This species, belonging to the hufelandi group, showed animals and eggs morphologies as in the original description ( Bertolani & Rebecchi 1993). Some specimens showed weak buccal armature with a clearly visible transverse crest system yet powerless anterior and posterior bands of teeth. Smooth or irregular lunule margins in the double-claws at the fourth pair of legs. Ocular spots were in 40% of the total specimens, while in 60% it was not possible to determine their presence or absence. Body size range was 242 to 1012 μm, mean 568 μm (SD 165). This species has been cited only for Europe. This is the first time it has been found in the Iberian Peninsula ( Table 2 ). Macrobiotus macrocalix was observed at seven sampling points (Table 3).