MILNESIIDAE Ramazzotti, 1962

Pilato, Giovanni & Binda, Maria Grazia, 2010, Definition of families, subfamilies, genera and subgenera of the Eutardigrada, and keys to their identification, Zootaxa 2404, pp. 1-54 : 11

MILNESIIDAE Ramazzotti, 1962

Eutardigrades with paired cephalic papillae and peribuccal papillae ( Fig. 5 B,C). Claws with primary and secondary branches completely separated ( Fig. 5 A).

Two models of bucco-pharyngeal apparatuses can be recognized within the family: the Milnesium model and the Limmenius model .

Milnesium model ( Fig. 5 B,C):

Tube rigid without ventral lamina; apophyses for the insertion of the stylet muscles in the shape of "very short and very flat ridges" symmetrical with respect to the frontal plane and lacking caudal processes. Peribuccal lamellae present (4 or 6).

Limmenius model ( Fig. 5 D,E):

Tube subdivided into an anterior, short, rigid portion (buccal tube) without ventral lamina, and a long posterior flexible portion (pharyngeal tube) with a spiral thickening; apophyses for the insertion of the stylet muscles in shape of "very short and very flat ridges" symmetrical with respect to the frontal plane and without caudal processes. Peribuccal lamellae present (6).

Composition: Three genera, Limmenius , Milnesioides and Milnesium belong to the family.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Claws and bucco-pharyngeal apparatuses of Milnesiidae. A, claws; B, bucco-pharyngeal apparatus of Milnesium; C, Milnesioides; D, E, Limmenius. (B, from Binda & Pilato, 1990). ap = accessory points; bsp = basal spur; bth = basal thickening; ce pa = cephalic papilla; pb = primary branch; pl = peribuccal lamella; sb = secondary branch; sp = spur. Definitions of families, subfamilies, genera and subgenera