Echiniscus duboisi Richters, 1902

Meyer, Harry A. & Hinton, Juliana G., 2009, The Tardigrada of southern Africa, with the description of Minibiotus harrylewisi, a new species from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae), African Invertebrates 50 (2), pp. 255-255 : 258-260

Echiniscus duboisi Richters, 1902

Figs 1–7 , Table 2

Description: Descriptions of this species indicate considerable variation in the shape, length, and number of lateral and dorsal spines ( Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983). In Richter’s (1902) description and illustration, lateral spines B through E are serrated, and have the same length as the smooth dorsal spines Cd and Dd. Specimens from Cape Colony (Murray 1913), Brazil ( de Barros 1942), and New Guinea ( Iharos 1967) lack dorsal and lateral spines at B. Illustrations of E. duboisi vary considerably in their depiction of its habitus, cuticle, and spines, and only de Barros (1942) and Iharos (1967) provide limited morphometric data.

Table 2 presents morphometric data for twelve specimens of Echiniscus duboisi . Cuticular ornamentation consists of widely-spaced depressions ranging in diameter from

1.0–3.1 ( Figs 1, 2 ). Cirri and spines are shorter, and the number of teeth on the dentate collars fewer, in South African than in Brazilian specimens. Three specimens lack lateral spine C, seven lateral spine D, and one dorsal spine Dd. Dorsal spines, especially Dd, are robust and serrated, with wide variation in number and size of teeth ( Figs 3, 4 ). Lateral spines C and D are either serrated or smooth; E is always serrated ( Figs 5–7 ). Material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: 24 specimens, TPGR, from foliose lichens on Acacia trees, 17 deposited at SMLA (accession numbers 9340–9346, 9349) and 7 at NMSA (accession number 9347) .

Distribution: E. duboisi has not been found in the Nearctic or Palearctic realms, but has been widely reported elsewhere, including South Africa (Table 1).

Class Eutardigrada Richters, 1926 Order Parachela Schuster , Nelson, Grigarick & Christenberry, 1980 Family Hypsibiidae Pilato, 1969 Genus Hypsibius Thulin, 1928

Four of the 41 species of Hypsibius are known from southern Africa (Table 1).

Figures

Figs 1, 2. Habitus of Echiniscus duboisi, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: (1) dorsal, (2) lateral. Scale bar = 100 µm.

Figs 3–7. Echiniscus duboisi, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: (3) dorsal spine Cd, (4) dorsal spine Dd, (5) lateral spine C, (6) lateral spine D, (7) lateral spine E. Scale bar = 20 µm.