Macrobiotus wuyishanensis, Zhang & Sun, 2014

Zhang, Pin & Sun, Xi-Zhai, 2014, A new species of the genus Macrobiotus (Tardigrada: Macrobiotidae) from Southeastern China, Zoological Systematics 39 (2), pp. 224-228 : 225-227

Macrobiotus wuyishanensis sp. nov. ( Figs 1–6 , Table 1 )

Material examined. Holotype, slide no. wy1981, Zhaixia Valley, Mt. Wuyi, Fujian. Four paratypes, slide no. wy1976– wy1979 and one egg ( Fig. 7 ). All specimens are deposited at the College of Life Sciences , Shaanxi Normal University.

Description. Colorless. Eyespots present ( Fig. 2 ). Cuticle smooth without pores, dots or any other sculptures. Buccopharyngeal apparatus of Macrobiotus - type ( Figs 1–2 ).

Mouth terminal with 10 peribuccal lamellae. Oral cavity armature well developed and composed of a band of teeth in shape of a row of small ridges parallel to the main axis of the buccal tube and 3 ventral transverse ridges ( Fig. 2 ). Buccal tube with the ventral lamina and one bend in anterior part of tube ( Fig. 2 ). Pharyngeal bulb spherical with apophyses, two macroplacoids and a microplacoid. Pharyngeal apophyses obvious upset triangle-shaped. First macroplacoid rod-shaped with a medial projection that points inward becomes narrower in anterior part, much longer than the second macroplacoid, the second macroplacoid rod-shaped, slightly curved, a slight constriction at the proximal end ( Fig. 2 ). Microplacoid medium, thin and placed close to the second macroplacoid ( Fig. 2 , Table 1 ).

Claws of hufelandi - type. Claws with an evident thin stalk ( Figs 3, 4 ), external claws larger than internal claws; the primary branch longer than the secondary branch; primary branches in all claws on all legs with strong accessory points. Lunules smooth on all legs ( Figs 3–4 , Table 1 ).

Egg laid free, spherical, without areolation. Diameter with projections 168.3 μm, diameter without processes 96.3 μm, projection length 35.0 μm, projection width at base 20.5 μm. Projections (13 on circumference of egg) cone-shaped, surface of the projection smooth without any sculpture, shell surface between the conical projections smooth ( Figs 5–6 ).

Etymology. The specific name of the new species refers to its type locality.

Remarks. Measurements of all found specimens are provided in Table 1 . The species is closely allied to M. spectabilis Thulin, 1928 (Thulinm, 1928) and M. grandis Richters, 1911 (Ramazzotti & Maucci, 1983). Because the eggs are the important characters of species level taxonomy of the genus Macrobiotus , the characters of eggs are compared. The new species differs from M. spectabilis by the lacking of the fine punctuation on the distal half of the projections on the egg, the ring of polygons that circle the base of each projection, and punctation between the projections on the egg shell.It is also different by different number of projections on the shell (13 on circumference of egg of M. wuyishanensis sp. nov., while 11 or 12, on circumference of egg of M. spectabilis ). This new species differs from M. grandis by smaller body size, lacking polygons and punctations between the projections. It has 13 projections on circumference of egg instead of 10 projections in M. grandis .

Figures

Figs 1–6. Macrobiotus wuyishanensis sp. nov. (holotype, slide number: wy1981). 1. Habitus. 2. Buccal apparatus. 3. Claws on the legs. 5. Egg. 6. Picture focused at the project. Scale bars: 1 =150 μm; 2, 5 =30 μm; 3–4, 6 =10μm.

Fig. 7. Locality of Macrobiotus wuyishanensis sp.nov.