Hypsibius dujardini ( Doyère, 1840 ), Kaczmarek, 2017

Kaczmarek, Łukasz, 2017, Annotated zoogeography of non-marine Tardigrada. Part IV: Africa, Zootaxa 4284 (1), pp. 1-74 : 24-25

54. Hypsibius dujardini ( Doyère, 1840) sensu lato [F/T]

Hypsibius dujardini ( Iharos 1969a)

Hypsibius dujardini ( Ramløv & Kristensen 1985) Hypsibius (Hypsibius) dujardini ( Doyère, 1840) ( Séméria 1986) Hypsibius dujardini ( Doyère 1840) (Pilato et al. 1991, Pilato et al. 2003) Terra typica : France (Europe)

Algeria:

• 36°40′N, 04°36′E; 1,400 m asl: Tizi Ouzou Province, Akfadou Forest. Binda & Pilato (1987)

Cameroon:

• 04°13′N, 09°10′E; 4,000 m asl: Southwest Region, Mount Cameroon National Park, Mount Cameroon, near fumaroles (80°C), moss on soil. Iharos (1969a)

Democratic Republic of Congo:

• 00°04′S, 29°18′E; 1,950 m asl: North Kivu Province, outskirts of Lukanga, moss ( Brachythecium velutinum ). Pilato et al. (2003)

• 01°10′S, 28°28′E; 1,000 m asl: North Kivu Province, outskirts of Mohanga, mosses ( Campylopus cfr. fragilis and Brachythecium velutinum ). Pilato et al. (2003)

• 34°01′S, 23°55′E; 200 m asl: Eastern Cape Province, Tzitzikama [Tsitsikamma National Park], moss. Binda (1984)

Morocco:

• 33°31′N, 05°07′W; 1,650 m asl: Meknès-Tafilalet Region, Ras al Ma [Res el Ma], mosses trees ( Cedrus ) and rocks. Séméria (1986)

• 32°25′N, 05°13′W; 1,750 m asl: Meknès-Tafilalet Region, S of Azrou , cedar forest, moss on limestone boulders in the forest glade and moss on soil, fallen branches and stems (2 samples). Ramløv & Kristensen (1985)

Tanzania:

• 03°06′S, 37°20′E; ca. 3,850 m asl: Kilimanjaro Region, Kilimanjaro National Park, upper Kibo , above tree line, rivulet, benthos sample . Van Rompu et al. (1991a)

• 03°06′S, 37°25′E; ca. 4,250 m asl: Kilimanjaro Region, Kilimanjaro National Park, Kibo trail, below saddle between Kibo and Horombo, above tree line, alpine meadow, small swampy brooklet, benthos sample . Van Rompu et al. (1991a)

• 03°06′S, 37°25′E; ca. 4,250 m asl: Kilimanjaro Region, Kilimanjaro National Park, Kibo trail, below saddle between Kibo and Horombo, above tree line, alpine meadow, dense vegetation, stagnant water (swamp), benthos sample . Van Rompu et al. (1991a)

• 03°09′S, 35°29′E: Undefined locality, Arusha Region, Ngorongoro Volcano, mosses. Pilato et al. (1991)

• 03°12′S, 37°31′E; ca. 2,500 m asl: Kilimanjaro Region, Kilimanjaro National Park, Maranda [Mandara] trail, tree line, benthos sample from river . Van Rompu et al. (1991a)

• 03°17′S, 37°31′E; ca. 1,500 m asl: Kilimanjaro Region, Kilimanjaro National Park, Marangu gate, rain forest, below tree line, river, benthos sample . Van Rompu et al. (1991a)

• 03°17′S, 37°31′E; ca. 1,500 m asl: Kilimanjaro Region, Kilimanjaro National Park, Marangu cascade, foot of cascade, below tree line, benthos sample . Van Rompu et al. (1991a)

Record numbers. Algeria: 1, Cameroon: 1, Democratic Republic of Congo: 3, Morocco: 2, Tanzania: 7; total: 14.

Remarks. Hypsibius dujardini sensu lato is a species complex (Kaczmarek & Michalczyk 2009) with an apparent global distribution ( McInnes 1994). Taxa within this complex require careful examination, and can only be determined via subtle details of claw and other morphometric characters (e.g. Miller et al. 2005, Kaczmarek & Michalczyk 2009). The nominal species of the group is Palaearctic or Holarctic, and hydrophilic. African records may require closer examination to verify potential new members of this species complex.