Echiniscus aff. brunus, Dey & Gąsiorek & Michalczyk, 2024

Dey, Pritam K., Gąsiorek, Piotr & Michalczyk, Łukasz, 2024, Convergent evolution of dark, ultraviolet-absorbing cuticular pigmentation in a new Afro-Oriental Echiniscus brunus species complex (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 200 (1), pp. 34-59 : 51-52

Echiniscus aff. brunus sp. can. 2

( Fig. 14 )

Material examined: Four individuals (for details, see Table 1 ).

Shortened description: Except for pore density in the dorsal plates ( Fig. 14A ), morphotype is identical to that of E. brunus and E. aff. brunus sp. can. 1 ( Fig. 14B–D ).

In contrast to the two Indian species, cuticular pores in E. aff. brunus sp. can. 2 are more numerous and thus more densely arranged (see Fig. 14A ). Despite clear genetic differences between E. aff. brunus sp. can. 2 and the two remaining species in the complex, we refrain from describing it as a new species because of the low number of available specimens, which precludes a detailed description of intraspecific morphological variability.

DNA sequences: A set of five markers was obtained: 18S rRNA (OR520120–1), 28S rRNA (OR520114–5), ITS-1 (OR520108–9), ITS-2 (OR520129–30) and COI (OR506708– 9). For p-distances, see the description of E. brunus and the note about E. aff. brunus sp. can. 1 above (see also Supporting Information, SM.03).

Remarks: Found together with E. belloporus , E. tantulus , E. tristis and several species of macrobiotids and milnesiids in the samples.

Figures

Figure 14. Echiniscus aff. brunus sp. can. 2 from Tanzania seen in PCM. A, dorsal view; the inset shows claws III. B, cuticular pores in intersegmental plates. C, paired subcephalic plates. D, pedal plate II. Scale bars are in micrometres.